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 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 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.

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

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