Brownsville ship channel into the safety of the port
The Coast Guard started receiving requests at 10 a.m. on Tuesday from the Mexican shrimp fleets home-ported in Tampico and Campeche, Mexico, for their vessels to seek safe harbor from 13-foot seas and high winds. By late Tuesday night, 67 vessels with a total of 384 mariners aboard transited through the Brownsville ship channel into the safety of the port.
The Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department enforcement teams visited each vessel as they were permitted entry to vet them for security concerns, general safety and seaworthiness. These coordination visits began shortly after the first request for safe harbor was received and were conducted continuously until the last vessel entered in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
The multi-agency Port Coordination Team consisting of the Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas General Land Office and the Ports of Brownsville and Port Isabel directed the dynamic operation for the large number of vessels.
The mariners were told to remain on their vessels inside the port’s security perimeter. CBP conducted security patrols of the port throughout the fleet’s stay. The port and ship channel were also closed to these vessels at night in order to control the flow of traffic into and out of port.
During the safe harbor operations, the Coast Guard, in partnership with state and local agencies, responded to three separate incidences of vessels running aground. The Mexican shrimping vessels Don Alvero 4 and Lissette ran aground along the Brownsville Ship Channel. The Jackie C. ran aground on the beach a few yards north of the South Padre Island Jetties. No injuries or pollution has been reported with any vessels. The Don Alvero 4 eventually refloated on the high tide and returned to sea.