MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE: Coast Guard interdicts lancha crew illegally fishing off Texas coast

U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 01/24/2023 10:54 AM EST

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 News Release  

U.S. Coast Guard 8th District Public Affairs Detachment Texas
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Coast Guard interdicts lancha crew illegally fishing off Texas coast

Lancha A Coast Guard Station South Padre Island 33-foot Special Purpose Craft–Law Enforcement crew observes illegally caught fish and illegal fishing gear on board a seized lancha off the southern Texas coast, Jan. 20, 2023. The boat crew interdicted the lancha, detained the four Mexican fishermen and transferred them to Customs and Border Protection agents ashore for processing. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Station South Padre Island)

A Coast Guard Station South Padre Island 33-foot Special Purpose Craft–Law Enforcement crew approaches a lancha in federal waters off the southern Texas coast, Jan. 20, 2023. The boat crew interdicted the lancha, observed 66 pounds of illegally caught red snapper and illegal fishing gear on board and transferred the four Mexican fishermen to Customs and Border Protection agents for processing. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Station South Padre Island) A Coast Guard Station South Padre Island 33-foot Special Purpose Craft–Law Enforcement crew approaches a lancha in federal waters off the southern Texas coast, Jan. 20, 2023. The boat crew interdicted the lancha, observed 66 pounds of illegally caught red snapper and illegal fishing gear on board and transferred the four Mexican fishermen to Customs and Border Protection agents for processing. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Station South Padre Island) A Coast Guard Station South Padre Island 33-foot Special Purpose Craft–Law Enforcement crew approaches a lancha in federal waters off the southern Texas coast, Jan. 20, 2023. The boat crew interdicted the lancha, observed 66 pounds of illegally caught red snapper and illegal fishing gear on board and transferred the four Mexican fishermen to Customs and Border Protection agents for processing. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Station South Padre Island)

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CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Coast Guard interdicted a lancha crew illegally fishing in federal waters off southern Texas, Friday.

Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi command center watchstanders received a notification from a Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi aircrew of four fishermen engaged in illegal fishing aboard a lancha approximately one mile north of the Maritime Boundary Line.

A Coast Guard Station South Padre Island 33-foot Special Purpose Craft–Law Enforcement crew launched to intercept the lancha. The boat crew arrived on scene and subsequently seized 66 pounds of red snapper, illegal fishing gear, a GPS and the lancha.

Coast Guard personnel detained the fishermen, brought them ashore and transferred the men to U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents for processing.

"Illegal fishing undermines our nation's sovereignty, threatens our economic security and harms the sustainability of living marine resources," said Petty Officer 1st Class Kenneth Naranjo, command duty officer, Sector Corpus Christi. "Combating illegal fishing continues to be a vital mission for our Coast Guard and partner agency crews throughout southern Texas."

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.

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