sgusers7的部落格

Source: Valley Morning Star, Harlingen, TexasSept.mini storage 07--SOUTH PADRE ISLAND -- U.S. Coast Guard officers arrested four Mexican nationals fishing in U.S. waters east of South Padre Island on Wednesday evening.Crew members of the Coast Guard Cutter Brant seized a "lancha" carrying four Mexican nationals who were fishing illegally in U.S. waters about 6:34 a.m. in the U.S. Economic time zone, to the east of South Padre Island about 10 miles north of the U.S. and Mexico border, authorities said.The fishermen had caught 272 red snapper, four mackerel and 21 black-tip shark with a total estimated weight of about 1,000 pounds, Coast Guard officials said. The fish were disposed of at sea by the South Padre Island Coast Guard Station, officials said."They had illegal fishing gear. They were using what is known as long line, which is against the law for U.S. citizens to be using. They were using illegal fishing methods in waters where they were not supposed to be," Coast Guard Houston/Galveston Sector Petty Officer Steve Lehmann said.The Coast Guard has interdicted seven "lancha vessels" illegally fishing in U.S. waters since Aug. 1 and a total of 34 over the previous 11 months, Coast Guard officials said, adding that similar "lancha vessels" are known to engage in narcotics trafficking."From May 2011 to May 2012, the South Padre Island station interdicted 17 'lanchas' fishing illegally in U.S. Waself storageers. From October 2012, to May 2013, the station interdicted 35, so there is a noted increase (from last year)," Lehmann said.Officials said similar "lanchas" are known for trafficking narcotics and exploiting natural resources."These Mexican lancha vessels engage in narcotics trafficking, exploit the sensitive natural resources of Southwest Texas and constitute a persistent challenge to U.S. sovereignty," Cmdr. Daniel Deptula, Chief of Response at Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi, said in a press release.Maritime law enforcement agencies are currently engaged in Operation Sea Serpent, a multinational and interagency operation on the border to respond to this sort of threat, officials said."Operation Sea Serpent is a coordinated effort between the Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol and similar agencies," Lehmann said. "We work with these other agencies to saturate problem areas, so we will send out boats, helicopters and other aircraft to patrol the area and interdict illegal fishing or illegal drug operations."Officials said they did not know the identities of the men or where in Mexico they were from, but said they were turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol.jmendoza@valleystar.comCopyright: ___ (c)2013 Valley Morning Star (Harlingen, Texas) Visit Valley Morning Star (Harlingen, Texas) at .valleymorningstar.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉