The U.S. Coast Guard on Easter detained a Mexican lancha and its crew while seizing approximately 1,000 pounds of illegally caught shark.
In a news release, the Coast Guard said one of its South Padre Island boat crews, along with its Corpus Christi watchstanders and aircrews, located the lancha with four Mexican fishermen engaged in illegally fishing on Sunday.
Authorities found approximately 1,000 pounds of shark, fishing gear, radios, GPS devices and high flyers on the vessel.
“Our interdiction of this lancha is a testament to the vigilance and dedication of our crews in enforcing marine conservation laws,” Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher Rantuccio, executive officer of Station South Padre Island, said in a news release. “We will continue to actively monitor and combat illegal fishing activities to preserve the delicate balance of our marine ecosystems.”
The fishermen were transferred to Border Patrol for processing, according to the release.
