Isla Mujeres, Q. R. — Crew members of a vessel that requested assistance from the Mexican navy have found themselves in a fair bit of trouble.
A vessel that ran out of gas and began drifting requested rescue assistance from the Mexican navy earlier this week. After the four crew and boat were safely returned to an Isla Mujeres dock, authorities noticed a discrepancy.
The vessel, Los Cuatro Hermanos, was found to have a cloned registration and a superimposed cooperative logo. The discovery was made after the crew and boat were towed and officials requested documentation from its captain. Officials noted that Los Cuatro Hermanos had cloned Por la Justicia Social on the boat, a cooperative of Isla Mujeres.
Baltazar Gómez Catzín, president of the Por la Justicia Social cooperative acknowledged that in his fishing group they have a boat with that registration and that name, but it is not the same as the vessel that was helped by the navy.
The Isla Mujeres cooperative confirmed that it is a cloning of one of its boats, which they say, also confirms that there are many clones dedicated to poaching.
The cloned vessel and crew were reportedly from Puerto Juarez. Captain of the cloned Los Curtro Hermanos has been summoned to appear before a Cancun judge to prove boat ownership as well as proof of fishing permits.