Department of Justice
United State Attorney
- Southern District of Texas
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 09, 2006
CONTACT: |
Nancy G. Herrera
713-567-9301 |
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John Yembrick
713-567-9388
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SHRIMP BOAT CAPTAIN SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON
(CORPUS CHRISTI, TX) The captain of a commercial shrimping vessel,
Raul De La Garza, 62, a Mexican national, was sentenced to a prison
term for his attempt to conceal fishing violations from federal
agents. United States Attorney Chuck Rosenberg reported that Chief
United States District Judge Hayden Head sentenced De La Garza
to 16 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised
release, and a fine of $10,000. The defendant was also prohibited
from working as a captain of - or in any other capacity on - a
commercial shrimping or fishing vessel during the term of his supervised release.
On August 19, 2005, the crew of the United States Coast Guard
Cutter Steelhead, working with Special Agents of the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), encountered the fishing
vessel “La Panchita” near the Flower Gardens National
Marine Sanctuary, approximately 90 nautical miles south of New
Orleans. Federal agents boarded the La Panchita as it was engaged
in commercial shrimping. The Captain of the vessel, Raul De LA Garza, destroyed evidence of a crime by intentionally releasing
the two port side nets with their associated equipment and allowing
them to fall to the ocean floor. The nets were determined to have
their federally required “turtle excluder devices” (TEDs)
sewn closed in violation of the Endangered Species Act. The captain
was prevented from releasing the starboard side nets, which were
also discovered to have disabled TEDs, devices that provide an “escape
hatch” allowing sea turtles, protected by the Endangered
Species Act, to escape from shrimp nets. Following the discovery
of these and other violations, the La Panchita’s voyage was
terminated and the fish and shrimp in the hold were seized by federal
authorities.
Raul De La Garza pleaded guilty on October 26, 2005, to one count
of covering up a material fact by trick, scheme, or device, specifically
referring to the release and attempted release of shrimp nets containing
disabled TEDs.
This case was investigated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration with the assistance of the United States Coast Guard,
and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert D.
Thorpe, Jr.
AUSA – Southern District of Texas: www.usdoj.gov/usao/txs
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