Gulf Cartel members hit with sanctions over illegal fishing off South Padre Island

The U.S. Department of Treasury on Tuesday sanctioned the Gulf Cartel’s Matamoros plaza boss, two brothers who are in charge of Playa Bagdad for the cartel, and the owners of two camps there that are used to stage lanchas used for illegal fishing in U.S. waters, as well as for drug and human smuggling.

In a news release, federal authorities said the sanctions target 35-year-old Francisco Javier Sierra Angulo, also known as “El Borrado,” the Matamoros plaza boss; and brothers Ismael Guerra Salinas, 35, also known as “Mayelo,” and Omar Guerra Salinas, 38, also known as “Samorano.”

The sanctions also target Raul Decuir Garcia, 53, also known as “La Burra,” and Ildelfonso Carrillo Sapien, 48, also known as “El Chivo,” who federal authorities say own the lancha camps at Playa Bagdad.

The cartel has long used lanchas in its illicit schemes and illegal fishing has long been a problem off of South Padre Island. On Sunday alone, the Coast Guard seized 2,200 pounds of illegally caught red snapper off of the Island.

(Courtesy: U.S. Treasury Department)

“Those designated are tied to the Gulf Cartel’s involvement in criminal activities associated with illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, human smuggling, and narcotics trafficking in the Gulf of Mexico,” the release stated. “IUU fishing often involves criminal activity, forced labor, and human rights abuses, and is often a revenue stream for criminal organizations.”

The Gulf Cartel is involved in the illicit trade of red snapper and shark through operations at Playa Bagdad.

“As the fishing of red snapper and shark species is under strict limits in the United States, and therefore those species are more abundant in U.S. waters, Mexican fishermen cross into U.S. waters to fish via these lanchas,” the release stated. “They then bring their catch back to lancha camps in Mexico, where the product is ultimately sold and, oftentimes, exported into the United States. This activity earns millions a year for lancha camps. In addition, it also leads to the death of other marine species that are inadvertently caught.”

Federal authorities say brothers Ismael Guerra Salinas and Omar Guerra Salinas are in charge of Play Bagdad, but in addition to overseeing illegal fishing, they manage drug trafficking and human smuggling operations in the area.

Garcia and Carrillo own the camps and oversee and enable the fishermen to cross into U.S. waters on behalf of the Gulf Cartel, according to the release.

The sanctions target all property and interests in property of the men that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons. The Department of Treasury’s actions means the property and interests in property must be reported to the agency’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

The news release said the investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit is coordinating closely with U.S. authorities.

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