Natural Resources Police seize more than 200 striped bass at Fishing Creek Bridge

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources says that Natural Resources Police recovered 213 illegally harvested striped bass and charged 24 people during surveillance at locations in Dorchester and Talbot Counties between April 15th and 17th.

Natural Resources Police continue to surveil and enforce fishing regulations in the area of the Fishing Creek Bridge on Hoopers Island Road, a hotspot of reported poaching activity.

Police say on Saturday night before midnight, officers found 26 striped bass in a vehicle occupied by five Silver Spring residents. Raul Antonio Bueco Berganza, 28, Esvin Leonel Najera Bueco, 22, Hector Samuel Martenez Carpio, 37, Edinson Leonel Bueco Luch, 22, and Ferdy Misael Bueco Luch, 24, were all cited with several illegal fishing charges.

Later on after midnight, police reportedly found 83 striped bass in a single vehicle. The following men were charged with possessing undersized striped bass, possessing striped bass in a prohibited area, possessing fish over the limit and possessing striped bass outside of the legal time: Luis Galeano Baquedano, 18, of Silver Spring; Julio Mauricio Baquedano Moran, 22, of Greensboro, N.C.; Samuel Nolasco Pacheco, 33, of Lanham and Javier Reyes, 33, of Mount Ranier.

Police say another vehicle was stopped shortly after containing 12 striped bass. Hermilo Sanchez Bentra, 24, and Natividad Interiano Gladamez, 44, both of Gaithersburg, and 21-year-old Germantown resident Ivan Alexis Interiano Gladamez all face three violations each, officials said.

In the early morning hours of Monday, officers say they stopped a vehicle leaving the area where inside they found a cooler full of striped bass. According to officials, an officer told the driver to pull off to a different location off of the roadway so a citation could be safely written. As the vehicle was driving to a safer pull-off, officials say the officer witnessed a passenger throwing striped bass out of the vehicle's passenger-side window. Angie Campos Avila, 31, of Alexandria, Va., and Manuel Barahona Cruz, 33, of Temple Hills, were charged with possessing undersized striped bass, possessing striped bass in a prohibited area and possessing fish over the limit.

Officers stopped another vehicle shortly after, officials said, with two occupants receiving illegal fishing citations: Moises DeJesus Majano Canales, 36, and Maria Yohana Barahona Cruz, 34, both of Oxon Hill.

Police also reportedly found 62 striped bass in possession between five Temple Hills residents leaving the bridge at this same time. Daniel Escobar Alvarado, 33, John Bradak Medrano Canales, 27, Genesis Ivania Cuellar, 22, Ana Cuellar Jimenez, 42, and Jose Roberto Medrano, 20, all received multiple citations.

Officials say all of the people listed thus far are scheduled to appear in Dorchester County District Court on July 19th where they could face fines of up to $1,500 for each charge if found guilty.

Police additionally charged two Washington, D.C. men whose recreational fishing licenses had been suspended for illegally fishing: Edgar Fuentes DeMata and Lenin Gonzalez Fuentes. They are scheduled to appear in Dorchester County District Court on June 28th and could each be fined $1,000 if found guilty.

In the early morning hours of the 15th at the Bill Burton Fishing Pier in Talbot County, officials say police charged one Hyattsville man with possessing six undersized striped bass, catching striped bass in a designated spawning river and possessing striped bass outside of legal hours. Fernando Geov Vasquez Bautista, 38, is scheduled to appear June 19th in Talbot County District Court where he could potentially be fined $1,500 for each charge.

To see the 2017 regulations on recreational striped bass fishing in Maryland, click here.