Coast Guard Boat Caught in Illegal Fishing Line

Boat out of commission for an hour

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND - Mexican fisherman illegally fishing in the U.S. literally caught federal agents.

The U.S. Coast Guard Amberjack got tangled in a fishing line dropped in U.S. waters. It was out of commission for about an hour.

"The line got caught in the screw. And anytime you have something like that caught in the boat, you want to take every precaution to make sure you maintain good safety measures. So we called out divers. They went and cleared the screw of all the line caught in the Amberjack," explains Lieutenant Charles Hawkins of the U.S. Coast Guard.

The fishing line the boat was caught in is used to catch dozens, even hundreds, of fish at a time. Lines can stretch for more than a mile long.

The Coast Guard tells us Mexican fisherman usually drop the line in U.S. waters, mark their GPS coordinates, and then return in a couple of days for their catch. But fishing in our waters is illegal.

"Some of the long line owners can get pretty creative," says Hawkins. He pointed out bandanas used to mark lines.

"We even found a reflector on one, so fisherman can find their line at night...and look. It's engine parts to help hold the line down in the water," he says.

As for the Coast Guard's boat, Hawkins tells us the Amberjack is back on patrol, and they'll continue to patrol the area for illegal activity.