Wildlife Smugglers Busted for Drowning Birds, Smuggling Eels in Two Cases

Smugglers are headed to prison in two separate cases, for trying to smuggle tropical birds into the United States and for trying to smuggle eels from Puerto Rico to Asia. 

In the first case, a group of smugglers, who threw tropical birds in cages into the open ocean to avoid being caught, are sentenced to prison.

Prosecutors say the Dominican nationals were attempting to smuggle more than 100 tropical birds into the United States, when they were spotted by the U.S. Coast Guard throwing items overboard into the ocean north of Puerto Rico. 

Turns out, those items were tropical birds in cages. The Coast Guard later pulled 113 birds out of the water, all of whom drowned when they were tossed overboard. 

Many of the birds were internationally protected species, including white-crowned parrots, golden-capped parakeets, and green-cheeked conures. Also smuggled: red-crowned parrots, which have the highest level of international protection due to their exploitation in the pet trade and risk of extinction.  

“In this case, endangering the welfare of animals for personal gain was not only cruel — it was illegal,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico.

“The illegal smuggling of tropical birds not only threatens vulnerable populations but also undermines conservation efforts and poses significant risks as wildlife traffickers attempt to exploit our borders,” said Assistant Director Doug Ault of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)’s Office of Law Enforcement. 

Three of the suspects were sentenced to one year behind bars. A fourth was sentenced to eight months. They pleaded guilty to violating the Lacey Act, a federal law that prohibits the illegal trade of wildlife, fish, and plants.

Men Busted for Smuggling Eels

In another wildlife case, two other Dominican nationals are headed to prison for trafficking live eels. 

They were intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the U.S. Coast Guard on the high seas in February, north of Puerto Rico. They refused to follow orders, forcing the Coast Guard to disable the vessel’s engines through force. After boarding, law enforcement discovered large bags containing juvenile eels, plus firearms and ammunition.

According to prosecutors, the suspects were illegally harvesting the eels in a freshwater creek in Puerto Rico. They were attempting to smuggle them into the Dominican Republic for eventual sale and shipment to Asia, when they were intercepted.

More than 100,000 eels were seized, with an estimated value of $132,000. If sold in the Asian markets, the product could be worth more than $1 million. 

“Eels are a highly sought-after food source, including for sushi,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Unfortunately, they are often illegally harvested, which has already decimated their numbers in Japan and Europe and which is also having a profound effect on the American eel population. That is why we will vigorously prosecute individuals or entities caught illegally harvesting glass eels.”

The case was investigated by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

The suspects pleaded guilty to violating the Lacey Act and were sentenced to two years in prison.