Colombia Seizes Honduran Vessel with 72 Crewmembers

BOGOTA, Colombia (EFE) –Colombian naval forces last weekend seized a Honduran vessel with 72 crewmembers for fishing illegally in Bogota’s Caribbean waters, the navy announced Sunday.The head of the navy in the San Andres y Providencia archipelago, Capt. Leonardo Santamaria, said the interception of the vessel – which was found to be carrying some 500 pounds of lobster in its hold – occurred Saturday.The Honduran-flagged boat had not been authorized to fish in the area, said Santamaria, adding that it had been spotted by one of the navy’s monitoring aircraft. He said that the boat was boarded by coast guard personnel from the local naval base, who towed it into port at San Andres, which lies about 200 kilometers east of Nicaragua and about 800 kilometers west-northwest of Barranquilla.Santamaria said three of the 72 crewmembers on board were minors.