A $1.4 million bond may sound excessive for someone who got caught with undersized lobsters. But when a judge hit Jose Vargas with the massive bond, he didn’t have much of a choice.
That’s because Vargas got caught by authorities with 246 undersize lobsters at Fiesta Key Marina. The 59-year-old Miami man was discovered with the illegal stash after the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department witnessed him collecting lobsters from traps over the weekend.
Vargas was arrested for possession of undersize lobsters, possession of over-the-limit lobsters and possession of wrung lobster tails.
In total, Vargas was found with 267 wrung lobster tails and only 21 of them being legal.
This wasn’t the first time he’d been discovered with hundreds of illegal lobsters.
Back in 2011, authorities discovered Vargas stealing lobsters from other fishermen’s traps in the early morning around Long Key. He didn’t have a fishing license at the time and he had a total of 332 wrung lobsters in his possession with 274 of them being undersize.
It’s obvious the man has no respect for shellfish laws and would have no hesitation about continuing his behavior, which is why the judge felt justified in issuing such a high bail.
