The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office intercepted multiple fishing violations over a three-day stretch in the Florida Keys, resulting in mandatory court dates for three anglers. The cases involved an out-of-state tourist and two South Florida residents caught with illegal hauls by local marine deputies.
The first encounter occurred on Friday, June 26, near the Tom’s Harbor Channel Bridge. Middle Keys Marine Deputy Willie Guerra observed 22-year-old Joseph Nathan Abraham of Wake Forest, North Carolina, loading fish into his vehicle. Abraham had been spearfishing in the area.
Upon inspection, Deputy Guerra discovered Abraham was in possession of an undersized hogfish and an undersized mangrove snapper. Abraham had also harvested a porkfish, which is a regulated species required by law to be kept alive upon harvest…