Three Texas men have been cited for violating federal reef fish regulations June 19 in the Gulf of Mexico.
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents cited Oscar Naranjo, 49, of Galveston; Eustacio Rangel, 51, of Port Isabel; and Vincent Longoria, 47, of Palacios after finding them in possession of 42 red snapper, according to a news release. The agents were on a joint enforcement agreement patrol 50 miles south of Grand Isle in the Gulf of Mexico when they observed an 80-foot vessel trawling for shrimp. Agents boarded the vessel and performed an inspection, according to the release.
During the inspection, agents located 42 frozen red snapper below the deck inside a large insulated holding box; the men did not possess a commercial permit that is needed to harvest and sell reef fish under federal quotas and in excess of the bag limits, according to the release.
Any vessel with shrimp trawls may not exceed the recreational reef fish bag limit, which is two per person with a minimum 16 inches in total length for red snapper.
Agents who are participating in the case are Lt. Joseph Arnaud and Senior Agent Michael Marques Jr.
