The United States on Tuesday sanctioned members of a Mexican drug cartel over the illegal fishing of red snapper and shark species in U.S. waters.

The sanctions target the Matamoros leader of the Gulf Cartel and its leaders in Playa Bagdad, where it illegally fishes for red snapper and shark.

The US Department of the Treasury has identified members of Mexico's Gulf Cartel as key players in illegal fishing operations targeting red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico. The fish, abundant in US waters due to strict conservation rules,

According to the U.S. Treasury Department, the Gulf cartel uses fishing boats to shift drugs and smuggle migrants.

The U.S. Coast Guard intercepted three lancha crews, seizing 2,200 pounds of illegally caught fish and detaining 19 Mexican fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico.

For years, U.S. authorities and fishermen have complained about illegal fishing for red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico, and now it’s clear who is behind the lucrative trade: a Mexican drug cartel

The Treasury Department issued sanctions against a Mexican drug cartel for their role in illegal red snapper fishing in the Gulf of Mexico.