Alabama Senators Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt joined a group of Gulf Coast lawmakers in urging federal regulators to crack down on illegal fishing by Mexican vessels in U.S. waters, warning the practice undercuts American fishermen, threatens fish stocks and fuels cartel activity.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-LA, led a Jan. 14 letter to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calling on the agency to use its import restriction authority and other enforcement tools to stop illegally harvested red snapper from entering U.S. markets according to a news release. Cassidy and other Gulf lawmakers said enforcement at sea alone has not been enough to deter the activity.
“We write to express concern regarding the continued illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing for red snapper by Mexican vessels operating in U.S. waters in the Gulf of America. The Coast Guard has demonstrated sustained and effective operational enforcement through repeated interdictions and seizures; however, the continued presence of Mexican lanchas in U.S. waters suggests that enforcement at sea, by itself, is insufficient to eliminate the incentive to fish illegally. We urge the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to use its import-restriction authorities, and other applicable authorities, to address this problem in a targeted and proportionate manner that supports law-abiding U.S. fisheries,” the senators wrote.
Per the release, the issue carries particular weight for Alabama, which accounts for 34% of all recreational red snapper caught in the Gulf. Lawmakers said that makes the state especially vulnerable to the economic and ecological impacts of illegal fishing.
According to the letter, Coast Guard data show that while vessel interdictions declined in 2025 compared with the previous year, the volume of illegally harvested red snapper seized rose 28% to 15,859 pounds. The senators said fewer boats are being stopped but those that are interdicted are carrying larger, high-value hauls intended for the U.S. market.
They also cited a Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General report finding the Coast Guard intercepts only one in five detected foreign fishing vessels, leaving nearly 80% of illegal incursions unchallenged and free to move fish into domestic commerce through opaque supply chains.
The lawmakers emphasized that the Gulf of America red snapper fishery is highly regulated and shared by recreational and commercial harvesters, with allocation decisions involving intense policy debate because of the fishery’s value. They argued that illegally caught fish siphon value from American stakeholders.
Reports from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the letter said, indicate the Mexican lanchas involved are part of organized operations increasingly linked to the Gulf Cartel. The continued sale of illegally harvested red snapper in the United States provides a significant source of financing for the cartel and raises broader national security concerns, according to the senators.
“Congress anticipated circumstances such as these when it enacted the High Seas Driftnet Fisheries Moratorium Protection Act, which authorizes an import prohibition when foreign fishing activities undermine conservation and enforcement efforts,” the letter stated, noting that the authority has never been used despite growing evidence of cartel-linked seafood entering U.S. commerce.
In addition to Tuberville, Britt and Cassidy, the letter was signed by John Cornyn and Ted Cruz of Texas, Cindy Hyde-Smith and Roger Wicker of Mississippi, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Ashley Moody and Rick Scott of Florida.
The letter is part of a broader effort by Tuberville to support Alabama fishermen and promote American seafood. In July 2025, the U.S. Senate passed the Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act sponsored by Tuberville and Cruz, legislation aimed at targeting cartel members who illegally catch and smuggle red snapper and tuna into the United States.
