Coast Guard Seizes 1350 lbs. of Red Snapper and detains 11 Mexican fisherman

On Thursday, February sixth there was a collaborative effort between the Coast Guard Station South Padre Island boat crews, Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi Command Heart Watch Standers, Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi Aircrews, and the Coast Guard Cutter Donald Horsley to intercept three lanchas north of the Maritime Boundary Line off of the South Texas Coast. There Coast Guard personnel stopped and detained 11 Mexican fishermen, who had been illegally fishing in US federal waters, and located roughly 1,350 kilos of red snapper and 9 sharks aboard the three lanchas. All the illegally caught fish in addition to the fishing gear, and highflyers on board had been seized, introduced ashore, and transferred over to U.S. Customs and Border Safety personnel for additional processing.

“Our crews won’t pull again from efforts to finish unlawful fishing and trafficking of precious pure assets on the maritime border. We stay dedicated to implementing the legal guidelines of this nation,” stated Lt. Shane Gunderson, commanding officer, Station South Padre Island. “Whether or not on the southern border or alongside the maritime boundary line within the Gulf of America, the Coast Guard will detect, deter, and interdict illicit exercise that threatens our nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

A lancha is a 20-30 foot lengthy slender profiled fishing boat with a single outboard motor usually utilized by Mexican fishermen. These boats are able to going at speeds of greater than 26 knots and are sometimes utilized in each smuggling or unlawful fishing actions north of the maritime boundary.

In case you witness suspicious exercise or unlawful fishing in state waters (from land to 9 miles offshore), please contact “Operation Sport Thief” at 1-800-792-GAME (4263). For all suspicious exercise or unlawful fishing occurring in federal waters (out to 200 miles offshore), please contact the U.S. Coast Guard at 361-939-0450.