A U.S. Coast Guard Station South Padre Island 33-foot Special Purpose Craft–Law Enforcement crew rescued five fishermen from a sinking lancha boat off the South Texas coast Monday.
Rescue efforts kicked off when the Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi command center received a notification from a Coast Guard airplane crew about four lanchas engaged in illegal fishing, according to a press release. When the South Padre Island crew launched to intercept the lanchas, they saw that one was taking on water.
According to the Coast Guard, a “lancha is a fishing boat used by Mexican fishermen that is approximately 20-30 feet long with a slender profile, having one outboard motor, and is capable of traveling at speeds exceeding 30 mph.” The Coast Guard also said that the boats “are frequently used to transport illegal narcotics to the U.S.,” and to fish illegally in the Exclusive Economic Zone near the U.S./Mexico border in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Coast Guard crew took aboard five fishermen from the sinking lancha. Then, Coast Guard personnel detained the five fishermen and transferred them to border enforcement agents.
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“This case illustrates the dynamic mission set of Station South Padre Island,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Alfredo Benavidez, pursuit coxswain for the case. “The original mission, protection of natural resources, quickly shifted to search and rescue. Fortunately, my crew and I were able to quickly and effectively save five lives and protect our natural resources and ecosystem from illegal poaching.”
The Coast Guard asks people who “witness suspicious activity or illegal fishing in state waters (out to 9 miles offshore),” to contact the Texas Parks and Wildlife at 1-800-792-GAME (4263) or the U.S. Coast Guard at 361-939-0450.
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