The Coast Guard apprehended 11 Mexican fishermen and confiscated approximately 1,595 pounds of unlawfully caught red snapper and nine sharks in federal waters off southern Texas on Thursday. Multiple Coast Guard units and U.S. Customs and Border Protection were involved in this operation.
Coast Guard Station South Padre Island boat crews, in coordination with Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi Command Center watch standers, Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi aircrews, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, located and intercepted the fishermen north of the Maritime Boundary Line, according to a press release from the Coast Guard PADET Texas.
After intercepting the lanchas, Coast Guard personnel seized the fish, as well as fishing gear and highflyers found on board the vessels. The detained fishermen were brought ashore and transferred to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for further processing.
“Our crews will not pull back from efforts to end illegal fishing and trafficking of valuable natural resources on the maritime border,” said Lt. Shane Gunderson, commanding officer of Station South Padre Island. “We remain committed to enforcing the laws of this nation.”
A lancha is a fishing boat used by Mexican fishermen, typically around 20-30 feet long with a slender profile, capable of reaching speeds exceeding 30 mph. These vessels are often utilized for transporting illegal narcotics to the U.S. and engaging in illegal fishing in the United States Exclusive Economic Zone near the U.S./Mexico border in the Gulf of America.
The Coast Guard urges the public to report any suspicious activity or illegal fishing in state waters by contacting Operation Game Thief at 1-800-792-GAME (4263). For federal waters, please contact the U.S. Coast Guard at 361-939-0450.