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Lt. Gregory Soberanis - Acting Vice Commander, BCG
"At approximately 5:30 yesterday evening, the coast guard received a distress call that a vessel had capsized in Punta Gorda and just east of Punta Gorda town about 15 minutes away. We responded by deploying the joint patrol with TIDE and the coast guard to the location. Arriving at the location the personnel who were on-board the capsized vessel had been rescued and were taken to safe harbour. We confirmed that all personnel were safe and that there was no injury that all was well. Upon confirming that personnel on-board the capsized vessel were well and that there were no injuries, the joint patrol consisting of TIDE and the coast guard proceeded back to the operating base."

After the rescue mission, the Coast Guard and TIDE returned to the water to conduct a routine patrol. Upon entering the Port Honduras Marine Reserve, the patrol found a vessel fishing with illegal gil nets. The vessel tried to flee as the patrol got closer, but the officers set chase, and caught up to the illegal fishers. Lt. Soberanis told us more...

Lt. Gregory Soberanis - Acting Vice Commander, BCG
"The joint patrol decided that they would conduct a night patrol in the area of Port Honduras Marine Reserve where a vessel was sighted which was suspected of conducting illegal fishing in the area. The joint patrol decided that they would conduct a boarding on the suspected vessel. Approaching the vessel the suspected vessel that was conducting the illegal fishing fled from the joint coast guard patrol. a hot pursuit ensued and eventually the vessel was intercepted where there were found to be in possession of illegal fishing gear namely gillnets. They were detained, taken to Punta Gorda town handed over to the police to be charged."

The fishers have been detained and authorities have confirmed that they are Belizean.