[chris]

Coast Guard Station South Padre Island boat crews, working with Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi watch standers, Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi aircrews, and Coast Guard Cutter Daniel Tarr, located and stopped 16 Mexican fishermen north of the Maritime Boundary Line on Tuesday night.

The Coast Guard said the fishermen were engaged in illegal fishing. Crews took the men into custody, brought them ashore, and transferred them to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for further processing.

Crews seized about 2,500 pounds of red snapper, fishing gear, and equipment. Two lanchas were seized, while two were left adrift due to flooding and instability.