CORPUS
CHRISTI, Texas — The Coast Guard interdicted five lancha crews and
seized 590 pounds of illegally caught fish in federal waters off
southern Texas, Thursday.
Coast
Guard Station South Padre Island boat crews and the Coast Guard Cutter
Jacob Poroo crew, in coordination with Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi
watchstanders and Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi air crews,
located and stopped five lanchas with a total of 22 Mexican fishermen
engaged in illegal fishing.
After
interdicting the lanchas, Coast Guard personnel seized 3 sharks and 590
pounds of red snapper, along with fishing gear, radios, GPS devices and
high flyers on board. Coast Guard crews detained the Mexican fishermen
and transferred them to border enforcement agents for processing.
"Through
our great collective efforts, we continue to detect and deter illegal
fishing occurring in southern Texas waters," said Petty Officer 1st
Class Ryan Ortega, search and rescue coordinator, Sector Corpus Christi.
"Our crews are always ready to protect U.S. waters from foreign
intrusion and enforce domestic living marine resource laws."
A
lancha is a fishing boat used by Mexican fishermen that is
approximately 20-30 feet long with a slender profile, having one
outboard motor, and is capable of traveling at speeds exceeding 30 mph.
Lanchas are frequently used to transport illegal narcotics to the U.S.
and illegally fish in the United States’ Exclusive Economic Zone near
the U.S./Mexico border in the Gulf of Mexico.
If
you witness suspicious activity or illegal fishing out to 200 miles
offshore, please contact the U.S. Coast Guard at 361-939-0450.