US Coast Guard law enforcement crews detected and interdicted two Mexican lancha boat crews engaged in illegal fishing in US waters off southern Texas, on 3 November.
The USCG crews stopped a lancha with four Mexican fishermen engaged in illegal fishing. 62 red snapper totaling 212 pounds were seized. A second lancha with five Mexican fishermen were stopped with 126 red snapper weighing 176 pounds.
The equipment and fishermen from both lanchas 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 US and fish illegally in the United States’ Exclusive Economic Zone near the US/Mexico border in the Gulf of Mexico.
Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi has interdicted five lanchas north of the US/Mexico Maritime Border since 1st October 2018.
