A grand jury in Brownsville, Texas, has indicted four fishermen from Matamoros, Mexico. The indictment accuses them of illegally transporting red snapper taken from U.S. waters. This announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The individuals involved are Miguel Angel Ramirez-Vidal, 32; Jesus David Luna-Marquez, 20; Jesus Roberto Morales-Amador, 27; and Jose Daniel Santiago-Mendoza, 22. They 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.
According to the charges, on April 17, the crew attempted to transport approximately 315 kilograms of red snapper that were allegedly harvested illegally from U.S. waters with the intent to sell them in Mexico.
Authorities claim they observed the crew's panga-style fishing vessel seven miles north of the U.S.-Mexico maritime boundary line and 21 miles east of South Padre Island (SPI). The crew reportedly used about four kilometers of heavy nylon fishing line and 1,200 fishing hooks while operating an unmarked and unregistered vessel without national flags or running lights. The charges state that none of the crew members had permits to fish in U.S. waters or quotas for red snapper as required by federal law.
If found guilty, each defendant could face up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The investigation was conducted jointly by 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, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and South Padre Island Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William Hagen is handling the prosecution.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely a formal accusation of criminal conduct and not evidence itself. Defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty through due process.