CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The U.S. Coast Guard and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department found five illegal fishing boats and 2,640 pounds of illegally caught fish off the South Texas coast on Saturday.
A total of 20 fishermen from Mexico were detained following the discovery, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a news release.
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Coast Guard crews from South Padre Island and Corpus Christi first located four lanchas north of the Maritime Boundary Line.
About 2,090 pounds of illegally caught red snapper were located on those boats, and 16 men were taken into custody.
Then, later on, an Air Station Corpus Christi crew alerted TPWD about another lancha crew north of the Maritime Boundary Line.
That boat contained 550 pounds of illegally caught red snapper, authorities said, and four men were taken into custody.
The fishermen were taken ashore and transferred to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for processing. The boats and all fishing gear were confiscated.
“Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing depletes our precious natural resources, disrupts our economy and threatens the marine environment,” Coast Guard Capt. Hans Govertsen, commanding officer, Air Station Corpus Christi, said in the release. “We are blessed to work alongside our local, state, federal, and international partners and are fiercely committed to stopping these illegal operations.”
Lanchas are known for transporting illegal drugs or fish near the U.S.-Mexico border. They range between 20 and 30 feet long and have a slender profile with the capability of traveling about 30 miles per hour.
Anyone who witnesses suspicious activity or illegal fishing in state waters (from land to 9 miles offshore) can contact “Operation Game Thief” at 1-800-792-GAME (4263). For suspicious activity or illegal fishing in federal waters (out to 200 miles offshore), contact the U.S. Coast Guard at 361-939-0450.