A routine law enforcement patrol ended in court notices for two North Carolina divers caught with illegal lobster in the Middle Keys on Thursday afternoon.
Middle Keys Marine Deputy Willie Guerra was patrolling the waters near Layton around 3 p.m. on Aug. 27, 2026, when he spotted two women actively diving for lobster. Authorities identified the individuals as Rebecca Elizabeth Cummings, 54, and Machala Rae Cummings, 29, both residents of Liberty, North Carolina.
Upon inspecting the divers’ catch, Deputy Guerra discovered that both women were holding lobster below the legal size limit. Rebecca Cummings was in possession of six undersized lobsters, while Machala Cummings had five undersized lobsters in her possession…