Huge alligator 'cited for suspicion of being a dinosaur' in N.C.
June 9 (UPI) -- A North Carolina sheriff's office assisted with the capture of a nearly 400-pound alligator and joked the reptile was "cited for suspicion of being a dinosaur without proper papers."
The Onslow County Sheriff's Office said on social media that deputies responded alongside North Carolina Wildlife Resources personnel when the "prehistoric perp" was "caught loitering near the double yellow line on Old 30 Road."
The gator, dubbed Pepe by the sheriff's office, was estimated to weigh between 350 and 400 pounds.
The nearly 10-foot reptile "has been cited for Suspicion of Being a Dinosaur Without Proper Papers, Public Loitering with Intent to Sunbathe and Obstructing Traffic," the sheriff's office joked.
Officials wrote the alligator was "safely relocated" with no injuries to humans or reptiles.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Onslow County Sheriff's Office (@onslow.county.sheriffs.office)

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UPI
39 minutes ago
- UPI
More arrests as LA extends curfews and other cities brace for protest, too
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Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Brazil court majority favors tougher social media rules
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UPI
an hour ago
- UPI
Judge: Marco Rubio's determination is not enough to detain Mahmoud Khalil
Secretary of State Marco Rubio (pictured in May) had determined that Syrian national Mahmoud Khalil's presence in the United States runs counter to U.S. foreign policy. File Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License Photo June 11 (UPI) -- Syrian national Mahmoud Khalil can't be detained and deported due to foreign policy concerns by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a federal district court judge ruled on Wednesday. Rubio had determined that Khalil's presence in the United States -- while organizing campus protests favoring Hamas while enrolled at Columbia University -- runs counter to U.S. foreign policy. U.S. District Court of New Jersey Judge Michael Farbiarz ruled Rubio's determination is insufficient to warrant Khalil's detention and deportation, NBC News and The Hill reported. Rubio also suggested Khalil concealed his alleged connections with Hamas when he applied for a U.S. visa. "It might be argued that [Khalil] would be detained anyway," Farbiarz wrote. "The Department of Homeland Security is seeking to remove [Khalil] based not only on the Secretary of State's determination but also on ... the petitioner's alleged failure to accurately complete his lawful-permanent-resident application." While the DHS might have a stronger and enforceable claim to detain and deport Khalil, Farbiarz said Rubio's determination is not enough to warrant his continued detention and eventual deportation. Federal authorities arrested Khalil in March with the intention of deporting him, but Farbiarz said Khalil's "career and reputation" are damaged by his arrest. Farbiarz said Khalil has suffered "irreparable harm" but agreed the DHS might have a strong enough case to deport him because he did not accurately complete a lawful-permanent-resident application. Such instances don't result in individuals being detained, though, Farbiarz said. "That strongly suggests that it is the Secretary of State's determination that drives [Khalil's] ongoing going detention -- not the other charges against him," the judge wrote. He issued a preliminary injunction and ordered the Trump administration to release Khalil, but not until Friday. The delay gives the Trump administration time to appeal the ruling. A federal immigration judge in April ruled the Trump administration can deport Khalil. President Joe Biden appointed Farbiarz to the federal bench in 2023.