CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The U.S. Coast Guard stopped a boat in the federal waters off south Texas and seized 40 illegally caught sharks on Tuesday.
Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi received a report from U.S. Customs and Border Protection that four fishermen aboard a lancha seven miles north of the Maritime Boundary Line were engaged in illegal fishing.
A lancha is a slender boat, about 2030 feet long, with a single outboard motor, often used by Mexican fishermen.
Lanchas are often used to transport drugs into the U.S. or to illegally fish in U.S. waters.
The Coast Guard launched a 26-foot over-the-horizon cutter boat crew to seize the 40 sharks and the illegal fishing equipment.
Four fishermen were detained and transferred to border enforcement agents, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
