Coast Guard seizes 40 sharks illegally caught off Texas coast

Galveston, TX (KPLC) - The U.S. Coast Guard announced it has seized 40 illegally caught sharks after interdicting a motorboat that was fishing in federal waters off the coast of southern Texas yesterday, Aug. 2, 2022.

Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi command center watchstanders received a notification yesterday morning from U.S. Customs and Border Protection that fishermen were illegal fishing aboard a motorboat about 7 miles north of the Maritime Boundary Line.

Responding to the call, the crew of the USCGC Edgar Culbertson launched a boat crew to interdict and seize the illegal fishing equipment. 40 sharks were found on board the motorboat where Coast Guard personnel detained four fishermen and transferred them to border enforcement agents for processing.

The Coast Guard says the fishermen were in a commonly used fishing boat which is frequently used to transport illegal narcotics to the U.S. and illegally fish in the United States waters in the Gulf of Mexico.

Authorities ask anyone who sees suspicious activity or illegal fishing in state waters (out to 9 miles offshore), to please contact the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s “Operation Game Thief” at 1-800-792-GAME (4263).

For all suspicious activity or illegal fishing occurring in federal waters (out to 200 miles offshore), you are asked to please contact the U.S. Coast Guard at 361-939-0450.