734 pounds of shark seized by US Coast Guard

Press Release

United States Coast Guard

12. April 2018

— —- —- — — — — –

Coast Guard interdicts lancha crew illegally fishing US waters

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

Coast Guard crews stopped one lancha with a total of three Mexican fishermen engaged in illegal fishing. The lancha boat, 967 pounds of red snapper, and 734 pounds of shark, were seized. The Mexican fishermen were detained and transferred to border enforcement agents for processing.

A lancha is a fishing boat used by Mexican fishermen that is approximately 20-30 feet long with a slender profile, typically has 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 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 136 lanchas, 39 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 361-939-6393.

Source and Photo Credit: US Coast Guard