Coast Guard boats interdicted two lancha crews and seized 600 pounds of illegally caught shark and red snapper in U.S. waters off the Texas coast on Friday.
Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi command center watchstanders received a notification from a Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi aircrew of lancha crews engaged in illegal fishing approximately eight miles north of the maritime boundary line.
Two Coast Guard Station South Padre Island 33-foot Special Purpose Craft–Law Enforcement crews launched to intercept the lanchas. The boat crews arrived on scene and subsequently seized two lanchas with high flyers, GPS devices, radios, fishing gear, two sharks and a combined 600 pounds of red snapper on board.
The Coast Guard crews detained the Mexican fishermen and transferred them to border enforcement agents for processing.
“Illegal, unreported, unregulated fishing is a multi-faceted problem that affects human rights, food security and maritime security,” said Lt. j.g. David Guerreiro, operational unit controller, Sector Corpus Christi. “We will continue to coordinate our efforts with state and federal agencies to put a stop to illegal poaching and preserve our natural resources for future generations to enjoy.”
Lanchas are open fishing boats 20 to 30 feet long powered with outboard motors. Once seized the boats are eventually destroyed. The boats are also used to transport narcotics into the United States.
Anyone witnessing suspicious activity or illegal fishing out to 200 miles offshore is urged to contact the U.S. Coast Guard at 361-939-0450.
