Question: where does international waters start in the gulf of mexico

title: Gulf of Mexico
text: In 1523 , Ángel de Villafañe sailed toward Mexico City , but was shipwrecked en route along the coast of Padre Island , Texas , in 1554 . When word of the disaster reached Mexico City , the viceroy requested a rescue fleet and immediately sent Villafañe marching overland to find the treasure - laden vessels . Villafañe traveled to Pánuco and hired a ship to transport him to the site , which had already been visited from that community . He arrived in time to greet García de Escalante Alvarado ( a nephew of Pedro de Alvarado ) , commander of the salvage operation , when Alvarado arrived by sea on July 22 , 1554 . The team labored until September 12 to salvage the Padre Island treasure . This loss , in combination with other ship disasters around the Gulf of Mexico , gave rise to a plan for establishing a settlement on the northern Gulf Coast to protect shipping and more quickly rescue castaways . As a result , the expedition of Tristán de Luna y Arellano was sent and landed at Pensacola Bay on August 15 , 1559 .