CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Coast Guard law enforcement crews successfully detected and interdicted a Mexican lancha boat with four Mexican nationals illegally fishing in federal waters off southern Texas Friday.
Friday evening, Coast Guard crews stopped the lancha and four Mexican fishermen engaged in illegal fishing. The lancha, 300 red snapper totaling 979 pounds, 3 shark and illegal fishing gear were seized. The Mexican fishermen were detained and transferred to border enforcement agents.
A lancha is a Mexican fishing boat that is approximately 20-30 feet long with a slender profile, has one outboard motor, is capable of traveling at speeds exceeding 30 mph, and is frequently used to fish illegally in the United States' Exclusive Economic Zone near the U.S./Mexico border.