A Miami man is in jail after a Middle Keys Marine deputy discovered a litany of significant fishing and boating infractions, including the possession of out-of-season and undersized marine species, near Mile Marker 60.5 this afternoon.
Juan Carlos Garcia-Martinez, 36, of Miami, Florida, was arrested today after an encounter with Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Luis Guiardinu. Deputy Guiardinu was on normal patrol at 2:51 p.m. when he noticed Garcia-Martinez in the water without a critical safety device: a diver-down flag.
The deputy’s further inspection revealed Garcia-Martinez actively spearing a lobster, which is forbidden in Florida.
The scope of Garcia-Martinez’s alleged infractions became apparent during the investigation. He was discovered to possess nine out-of-season lobsters, eight undersized lobsters, and nine lobster tails that had been illegally detached from their bodies while still in the water, a procedure known as “wrung tails in the water.” He was also cited for possessing more than the daily limit of lobster.
The unlawful harvest went beyond lobsters. Garcia-Martinez was also discovered with speared snook, undersized snook, and snook that were out of season. To make matters worse, he was accused of tampering with evidence and not having the necessary measurement device to guarantee compliance with size standards.
In addition to the criminal accusations, Garcia-Martinez received citations for failing to display a diver-down flag, not having a valid saltwater fishing license, not having a lobster license, and not having a snook permit.