Agents with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) cited three individuals for several violations related to their illegal raw seafood business, which they advertised through social media.
According to LDFW, Houma, Louisiana, U.S.A. residents Ana Reyna Beiza Lopez and Juan Rebollar Aguilar were illegally running a business selling oysters, blue crabs, and raw fish. The pair were also regularly transporting seafood to North Carolina for sale. Agents cited the pair for several violations, including:
- exporting crab or crab products without a wholesale/retail crab shipping license;
- commercial fisherman selling to consumers without a fresh product license;
- violating interstate commerce regulations;
- selling or buying fish without a wholesale retail license;
- failing to maintain records;
- possession of untagged or improperly tagged oysters;
- monthly returns to the department by wholesale/retail dealer;
- taking spotted seatrout without a permit;
- taking exotic fish from public waters; and
- selling/purchasing or attempting to sell/purchase undersized fish.
Separately, Lopez was cited for selling or purchasing game fish, and Aguilar was cited for conspiracy, processing marine product without a permit or in an unapproved facility, failing to tag sacked or containerized oysters, failing to maintain trip tickets, and failing to maintain traceable oyster records, according to LDFW.
The department said Aguilar also worked with Houma resident Izhar Rebollar-Beiza to produce fake certificates for the Best Practices for Oyster Harvester Course; Rebollar-Beiza was cited for computer fraud and filing false public records.
The three face varying levels of fines and jail time for the violations, while Lopez and Aguilar face civil restitution totaling USD 1,615 (EUR 1,394).
