The Coast Guard Daniel Tarr at Sector Field Office Galveston, Texas. U.S. Coast Guard file photo by Sector Houston-Galveston Drone Team.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Multiple Coast Guard law enforcement crews detected and interdicted two Mexican lancha boat crews illegally fishing in federal waters off southern Texas, Thursday.
The Coast Guard Cutter Daniel Tarr crew and a Coast Guard Station South Padre Island boat crew, in coordination with Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi, located and stopped two lanchas with a total of six Mexican fishermen engaged in illegal fishing.
Coast Guard personnel interdicted two lancha boats with high flyers, GPS devices, radios, fishing gear, a cell phone and 300 pounds of red snapper on board. Coast Guard crews detained the Mexican fishermen and transferred them to border enforcement agents for processing.
“Working collaboratively, we continue to halt illegal fishing occurring in the southern Texas waters,” said Chief Petty Officer Richard Godsey, command duty officer, Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi. “Our crews remain ready to protect the U.S. exclusive economic zone from foreign encroachment 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 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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