Coast Guard boat crews stopped five Mexican boats and crews fishing illegally in U.S. waters off southern Texas on Sept. 29, seizing 900 pounds of red snapper and sharks.

The crews from Coast Guard Station South Padre Island and the Coast Guard cutter Edgar Culbertson, coordinating with aircrews from Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi, located and stopped 23 Mexican fishermen illegally fishing north of the Maritime Boundary Line.

Mexican crews frequently invade U.S. waters using lanchas, fiberglass skiffs 20 to 30 feet long with slender hull profiles and single outboard motors that can run at speeds over 30 mph. Lanchas are also frequently used to smuggle narcotics.

 “After interdicting the lanchas, Coast Guard personnel seized 900 pounds of red snapper and shark, along with fishing gear and highflyers on board the vessels,” according to a Coast Guard statement. “Coast Guard crews detained the Mexican fishermen, brought them ashore, and transferred the detainees to U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel for further processing.”

“Our Coast Guard crews remain committed to eliminating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in our nation's sovereign waters,” said Lt. Shane Gunderson, commanding officer, Station South Padre Island. “Through highly coordinated response efforts with our federal and state partners, we will continue to combat this environmental and economic threat.”