Nicholas J. Ganjei United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
A grand jury in Brownsville, Texas, has indicted four fishermen from Matamoros, Mexico, for allegedly transporting fish unlawfully taken from the Gulf of America. U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced the charges against Miguel Angel Ramirez-Vidal, 32; Jesus David Luna-Marquez, 20; Jesus Roberto Morales-Amador, 27; and Jose Daniel Santiago-Mendoza, 22.
The individuals were previously arrested following a criminal complaint and are scheduled to appear for arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen Betancourt on May 22 at 1:45 p.m.
The indictment stems from an incident on April 17 when the crew attempted to transport approximately 315 kilograms of red snapper illegally harvested from U.S. waters with the intention of selling it in Mexico.
Authorities allege that the crew's panga-style fishing vessel was spotted seven miles north of the U.S.-Mexico maritime boundary line and 21 miles east of South Padre Island. The vessel was reportedly equipped with about four kilometers of heavy nylon fishing line and 1,200 hooks but lacked registration or national identification flags and operated without running lights.
According to the charges, none of the crew members had permits to fish in U.S. waters or quotas for red snapper as required by federal law.
If convicted, each individual could face up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations, Coast Guard Investigative Services, Coast Guard Station SPI, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and South Padre Island Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William Hagen is handling prosecution duties for this case.
It is important to note that an indictment serves as a formal accusation rather than evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty through due legal process.
