Two American men with ties to Miami Beach were arrested in Bahamian waters on Monday for running an illegal sport fishing charter.
According to the Royal Bahamas Defense Force Facebook and ZNS Bahamas network, 45-year-old Matt Blodgett and 30-year-old Isfren Miguel Ferrero Jr. were taken into custody after authorities stopped the boat near Black Point, Exumas.
The captains are accused of running the charter without a valid license. Officials said they were over the limit of fishing rods and fish, and marijuana vapes and guns were also found onboard. They also confiscated $6,000 in cash payments for the illegal three-hour trip.
During the search, it was discovered that there was no legal document for them to conduct any sports fishing charter within the country.
The boat that was seized has the name Rayne Check and multiple captain websites advertise the boat running out of Miami Beach.
Bahamian authorities said this was part of Operation Dragnet, and they had been investigating the vessel since October.
“They have their own laws, and we have to abide by them, and if we don’t want to abide by them, then we’re going to suffer the consequences,” said Richard Peoples III, a local captain who is not affiliated with this case.
He weighed in on the legalities and the importance of knowing the regulations.
“You gotta know the regulations, and you have to declare all that, like your number of fishing rods and everything, when you clear customs when you’re going over,” he said. “To my knowledge, we are not allowed to charter over there without getting a special charter permit through the Bahamas. You can do it, but you gotta apply, and it takes a while. Once you get that permit, you’re allowed to do it.”
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