US Coast Guard detains four Mexican nationals for illegal fishing off Texas coast

The US Coast Guard interdicted and detained four Mexican nationals engaged in illegal fishing and seized approximately 450 pounds (200 kg) of fish in federal waters off southern Texas on Tuesday, May 13.

A Coast Guard Station South Padre Island boat crew, in coordination with Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi Command Center watchstanders and Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi aircrews, detected and interdicted a total of four Mexican fishermen on board a boat called a lancha.

The Mexican nationals were engaged in illegal fishing north of the maritime boundary line in the Gulf of America.

After interdicting the suspects' lancha, coast guard crews took the fishermen into custody, brought them ashore, and transferred them to US Customs and Border Protection personnel for processing.

Coast Guard personnel also seized approximately 450 pounds of red snapper, along with fishing gear and equipment found on board the lancha.

The coast guard said lanchas are frequently used to illegally fish in the US exclusive economic zone near the US-Mexico border in the Gulf of America.

The illegal harvest and trade of red snapper and other fish species is often a revenue stream for criminal organisations.

Apart from their use for illegal seafood harvesting in US waters, lanchas may also be used to move illicit drugs and aliens into the United States.