Jose Alejandro Carrillo, Obstruction of Coast Guard, Texas 2013

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A Texas judge has sentenced a Mexican boat captain to 15 months in prison for obstructing a Coast Guard inspection. Jose Alejandro Carrillo, 24, of Matamoros, Mexico, was found guilty of obstructing boarding and attempting to flee from a Coast Guard vessel on March 16, 2013.

Carrillo was the captain of a Mexican fishing boat, also known as a ‘launcha,’ that was fishing illegally in U.S. waters. When a Coast Guard vessel attempted to detain the boat for inspection, Carrillo and another crew member, Ismael Lopez-Ortiz, attempted to flee. The chase ensued, with the launcha making contact with the Coast Guard vessel twice before finally stopping and allowing the inspection to occur.

The Coast Guard has stated that vessel operators who fail to stop and attempt to flee put themselves and others at great risk. Rear Admiral Kevin S. Cook, Eighth Coast Guard District Commander, hopes that this sentence will serve as a deterrent to other operators in similar situations.

Carrillo pleaded guilty on April 24, 2013, and has been in custody since his arrest. He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The case was investigated by the Coast Guard Investigative Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Leonard.

This sentence serves as a reminder of the consequences of obstructing law enforcement and attempting to flee from authorities. The Coast Guard will continue to enforce the law and protect the rights of all vessel operators in U.S. waters.

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