Posted on 09/22/2025 6:10:30 AM PDT by Red Badger
Federal authorities have taken a Honduran national into custody after he was caught poaching fish at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, underscoring the growing link between unlawful immigration and disregard for U.S. laws.
Earlier this week, U.S. Marshals arrested 46-year-old Walter Betancourth following a court appearance in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
Betancourt, who was already subject to a final order of removal dating back to 2022, was transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody for deportation proceedings.
His arrest was the result of close cooperation between ICE, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
The case began on June 15, 2025, when park rangers at Cape Hatteras noticed a group of five men catching far more fish than allowed.
Their investigation found that Betancourth and the group had illegally taken 16 red drum.
North Carolina law restricts the catch to one red drum per person per day, both to prevent overfishing and to protect the fragile ecosystem.
Several of the fish were oversized and should have been released back into the water.
This violation highlights the strain illegal immigration places not only on law enforcement but also on natural resources.
Fishing regulations are designed to preserve stocks for future generations of residents and lawful visitors.
Poaching on this scale threatens both ecological balance and the ability of North Carolina citizens to access and enjoy their natural heritage.
The incident also reflects a deeper problem: individuals who have already been ordered removed from the United States continuing to live freely while ignoring federal authority.
Betancourth’s final deportation order from 2022 should have barred him from remaining in the country.
Instead, he stayed unlawfully and engaged in further violations, only being apprehended after committing additional crimes.
The swift action of federal authorities sends a clear signal.
Agencies at both the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security have pledged to intensify efforts to locate and remove individuals who defy U.S. immigration laws.
This case shows that even seemingly small infractions, such as poaching fish, can bring broader enforcement actions when committed by those who are in the country illegally.
North Carolina has long prided itself on safeguarding its coastlines and wildlife.
The cooperation that led to Betancourth’s arrest demonstrates how seriously federal and local officials take violations that jeopardize both natural resources and the integrity of U.S. borders.
Unlawful presence combined with criminal behavior will not be tolerated.
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They don't have rules where they come from, so they don't obey any here.
They catch anything and everything regardless of size or quantity. It doesn't matter to them.
Rules are for gringos...................
Ping!...............
Walter Betancourth?
Odd name for a Honduran.
“the growing link between unlawful immigration and disregard for U.S. laws”
Wow. So, there’s a link between people who break the law and disregard for the law, and it’s growing?
I served in the Marines in the early 70’s with a guy named Johnathan Wesley.
He was a Mexican.............
“16 red drum”
And I’m sure this isn’t his first rodeo with overfishing.
We call them “Red Fish” along the Gulf of America.
My Brother-in-law in St. Mary’s Georgia calls them “Red Bass”.............
In Miami, it was manatees...
Red drum, Red Fish, Red Bass....they are referred to as any and all of those over here, but most commonly by fishermen I know and myself as plain old “Reds”.
Where were they working and living? What rental company cleared the illegal for apartment or house rental? What’s the name of the company he worked for? Probably lots of cockroaches under that rock.
Media pretends none of this matters so no investigation is ever thorough.
Illegal aliens, not undocumented migrants nor “Newcomers according to democrats” nor undocumented immigrants have broken Federal Law by just being here so why should they obey any US laws?
Spot tail bass, reds, drum, redfish - they’re fun to catch and eat good
This would be the fish that chef Paul Prudhomme used for his Cajun-style blackened redfish?
Correct..............
Might have been Haitian at some point and ended up in Honduras.
In the 70’s the Vietnamese nearly wiped out the shrimp in the Gulf of America and many Americans lost their livelihoods to the losers who were imported.
Red Drum, a fine tasting fish..
Georgia as well.
Local college had awesome Fox Squirrels, big “moon head” squirrels.
All gone now.
Well, we must remember that the new incoming demomcrats are much like the old ones. They don’t like to live by the word of law. They’re convinced that this is truly a “Democracy” in the United States and that they are indeed the majority. So, they piss on you and your laws. They will do as they damned well please...
Very.
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