Coast Guard interdicts lancha crew illegally fishing in US

Coast Guard interdicts lancha crew illegally fishing in US

News Release

Nov. 25, 2017 U.S. Coast Guard 8th District Public Affairs Detachment Texas Contact: 8th District Public Affairs Detachment Texas Office: (281) 464-4810 After Hours: (832) 293-1293

Coast Guard interdicts lancha crew illegally fishing in US

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CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Coast Guard law enforcement crews detected and interdicted a Mexican lancha boat crew engaged in illegally fishing in federal waters off southern Texas, Friday afternoon.

Coast Guard crews stopped one lancha with a total of four Mexican fishermen engaged in illegal fishing. The lancha, with 878 pounds of red snapper, 35 pounds of amberjack, and fishing gear onboard, was seized. The Mexican fishermen were detained and transferred to border enforcement agents for processing.

“Our limited natural resources are being poached by the illegal activities of the lancha fishermen,” said Cmdr. Keith Pierre, the chief of response at Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi. “We will continue to aggressively defend our resources and sovereignty so that red snapper and other fish species still exist for our future generations.”

A lancha is a Mexican fishing boat that is approximately 20-30 feet long with a slender profile, typically has one outboard motor, is capable of traveling at speeds exceeding 30 miles per hour and is frequently used to fish illegally in the United States’ Exclusive Economic Zone near the U.S.- Mexico border in the Gulf of Mexico.

Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi has detected 19 lanchas, seven of which were interdicted, that were north of the U.S.- Mexico maritime border since Oct. 1, 2017.

If you witness suspicious activity or illegal fishing in state waters (out to 9 miles offshore), please contact the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s “Operation Game Thief” at 1-800-792-GAME (4263).

For all suspicious activity or illegal fishing occurring in federal waters (out to 200 miles offshore), please contact the U.S. Coast Guard at 361-939-0450.

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