Four Homestead men aboard a 15-foot skiff off North Key Largo were arrested Sunday on multiple conservation charges Sunday, state marine officers report.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers recovered a mesh bag from the bottom of Angelfish Creek, agency spokesman Officer Bobby Dube said.
The bag held undersized lobster, snapper and grouper.
FWC Officers PaigePeska and Jessica Sutter saw men in the skiff drop the bag over the side as they approached for a catch check around 4 p.m.
Officer Scott LaRosa went into the water to recover the bag that held 14 separated lobster tails, four of which were undersized, Dube said.
Also in the bag were seven mangrove snappers, five yellowtail snapper and a red grouper — all below the legal size limit, according to the report.
All four men were booked into the Plantation Key county jail. Charged with misdemeanor offenses were Jaime Socarras-Benito, 48; Javier Hernandez Ramos, 42; Oscar Hernandez Ramos, 41; and Yusdel Acuna Carmenates, 30.
Socarras-Belito remained in custody Tuesday in lieu of $4,000 bond. The other three defendants were released Monday after posting bonds from $2,060 to $4,000.
DON’T BE WILDLIFE MOBSTERS OR YOU WILL BE ARRESTED.
Source: FWC nab Homestead men in fishing bust