Coast Guard seizes 153 sharks after high-speed chase in Gulf with Mexican poachers

Video: Caught on camera: High-speed boat chase leads to seizure of 153 sharks in Gulf

SAN ANTONIO -- More than 150 sharks were seized by the U.S. Coast Guard in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday from Mexican poachers.

Crews intercepted the relatively small fishing boat, known as a "lancha," after a "risky high-speed chase," according to the agency.

The Coast Guard seized 153 sharks weighing more than 1,500 pounds from the group of four poachers. The crew was towed to South Padre Island, where the vessel was kept in custody, and the individuals were deported to Mexico.

The boat was spotted by Corpus Christi crews around 7:30 a.m. about 3 miles north of the border and 22 miles offshore, but the chase led the Coast Guard about four miles into Mexican waters.

"These events are always time sensitive due to sighting the lancha in close proximity to the international boundary line," said Lt. Austin Montanez, a pilot aboard the Falcon. "It takes incredible teamwork among the responding units and every second can mean the difference between an interdiction and one of the many that got away."

U.S. Coast Guard seized 153 sharks from Mexican poachers on August 3, 2014. U.S. Coast Guard seized 153 sharks from Mexican poachers on August 3, 2014. Photo: Courtesy, U.S. Coast Guard Photo: Courtesy, U.S. Coast Guard Image 1 of / 27 Caption Close Coast Guard seizes 153 sharks after high-speed chase in Gulf with Mexican poachers 1 / 27 Back to Gallery

Eric Vryheid, a spokesman for the U.S. Coast Guard, said the sharks were intended to be sold on the market in Mexico, but "as to what pieces or how they are divided up, we are not sure."

The Coast Guard had a busy week, according to the news release.

"Earlier in the week, the Coast Guard Cutter Brant spotted five lanchas and chased two of them south of the border. Falcon aircrews also spotted and pursued two lanchas. In total, Coast Guard crews aboard the Brant, Amberjack, and Sturgeon also found and seized approximately 17 miles of long line fishing gear. Each mile of long line have scores of baited hooks and are capable of catching hundreds of fish. The seized lines were discovered with 212 Red Snapper, 107 Sharks and several other reef fish. Many of them were found alive and were released at sea," the release reads.

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