Four Dominican nationals sentenced for smuggling, drowning tropical birds
Many of the birds -- including white-crowned parrots, golden-capped parakeets and green-cheeked conures -- are internationally protected species. Red-crowned parrots, also found in the defendants' possession, have the highest level of international protection due to their risk of extinction.
According to court documents, the four Dominican nationals were traveling with more than 100 tropical birds aboard a boat on May 3. They did not have wildlife export licenses.
As the U.S. Coast Guard approached the boat north of Puerto Rico, they saw the crew throwing wooden cages overboard. The USCG boarded the boat and recovered 113 dead birds from the ocean.
"Defendants were caught in the act of smuggling tropical birds from Puerto Rico, and then drowned them to cover up their crime," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. "Whether it's wildlife or other natural resources or goods, smuggling is illegal."
Franglais Varela De Jesús was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, while Domingo Heureau Altagracia was sentenced to eight months in prison. Waner Balbuena and Juan Gravel Ramírez Cedano were each sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison.
"This was a unique case for our Coast Guard crews who usually enforce fisheries laws to protect living marine resources in and around Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The successful prosecution and sentencing in this case are a testimony to our strong partnerships and collaboration to secure our maritime borders and to deter illicit trafficking that fuels criminal enterprises," said Commander Matthew Romano, Coast Guard Sector San Juan chief.
"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.
"I commend the excellent collaboration of the prosecutors and our law enforcement partners who remain steadfast in their commitment to protecting our wildlife," Muldrow added. "Because of their hard work, justice was served."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
UPI
4 hours ago
- UPI
Emil Bove appointed to appellate court despite whistleblowers
1 of 3 | Emil Bove, attorney for former President Donald Trump, sits in the courtroom at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Trump's trial is entering it's third week on charges he allegedly falsified business records to cover up a sex scandal during the 2016 presidential campaign. Pool photo by Jeenah Moon/UPI | License Photo July 30 (UPI) -- The U.S. Senate on Tuesday narrowly approved Emil Bove, who served as President Donald Trump's personal defense attorney, for a lifetime judicial appointment despite facing multiple whistleblower complaints. Bove was confirmed as a judge on the Philadelphia-based Third Circuit Court of Appeals on a 50-49 vote, with Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins voting with Democrats against him. Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee was absent. The vote follows one of the most heated sets of Senate hearings on any of Trump's judicial nominees. Three whistleblowers alleged that Bove, a high-ranking Justice Department official, misled lawyers and pressed career prosecutors to ignore court orders to advance Trump's political goals. Bove has denied the allegations, calling them "partisan attacks." Sen. Dick Durbin, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in an X post that Bove was "a terrible choice for the federal bench." "Mr. Bove's primary qualification appears to be his blind loyalty to this president," Durbin wrote. Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Republican chair of the committee, responded during a floor speech saying Democrats' attacks on Bove were unfair and he saw no evidence of misconduct. "Since the very beginning of this Congress, Democrats have engaged in a relentless obstruction campaign for nearly every one of President Trump's nominees," he said. The first whistleblower complaint was filed by Erez Reuveni, a now fired Department of Justice lawyer, who accused Bove of directing the Trump administration to disregard a court order to stop deporting migrants to a Salvadoran prison. A second complaint from an unnamed Department of Justice attorney backs up the first, claiming that Bove and other officials were "actively and deliberately undermining the rule of law." As the Senate neared its final vote on the nomination, a third whistleblower complaint accused Bove of misleading lawmakers when he denied pressing prosecutors to help broker the dismissal of the corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams, reports The Washington Post. Attorney General Pam Bondi celebrated Bove's confirmation in a post on X. "This is a GREAT day for out country," she said, while thanking him for "his tireless work and support" at the Justice Department. "He will be missed -- and he will be an outstanding judge," she said.
Washington Post
9 hours ago
- Washington Post
Coast Guard begins salvage operation and investigates cause of boat collision that killed two girls
MIAMI — The U.S. Coast Guard said it was beginning a salvage operation on Tuesday while investigating the cause of a boat collision near Miami that left two girls dead, one of whom was identified by family friends as the granddaughter of prominent Argentine television producers. Capt. Frank Florio, commander of U.S. Coast Guard Sector Miami, assured the victims' family members during a news conference that the Coast Guard and its partners would do everything in their power to learn what caused the crash.
UPI
11 hours ago
- UPI
Arkansas State Police release photo of double-murder suspect
1 of 2 | A composite sketch shows the suspect that the Arkansas State Police seek following a double murder Saturday at Devil Den's State Park in northwestern Arkansas. Image by the Arkansas State Police July 29 (UPI) -- The Arkansas State Police released a photo and artist's rendering of the man suspected of murdering two adults at Arkansas' Devil's Den State Park on Saturday afternoon. The suspect is described as a white male with a medium build and short hair who was wearing a dark baseball cap, sunglasses, dark pants and a long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up, according to the state police. The photo shows the suspect's backside, sandy brown hair and the clothing and gear that he wore during the alleged attack. He had a black backpack and was wearing fingerless gloves and might have been injured while allegedly killing Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, who were killed while walking in the state park with their two young daughters. Neither of the daughters, who are ages 9 and 7, were injured. Witnesses said they saw the man leaving the state park in a black, four-door sedan with a license plate that was hidden by tape and heading toward either State Highway 170 or State Highway 220. The Arkansas State Police are asking anyone who was at Devil's Den State Park on Saturday to check any photos or videos they might have recorded while at the park to see if the suspect might be in one or more of them. The police also are asking people to check GoPro, Security and game camera footage to see if they captured evidence of unusual activity or the suspect's vehicle. If any evidence is found, people should not post it online or otherwise share it and instead preserve the evidence and notify the Arkansas State Police. Anyone with relevant information can report it by calling 501-618-TIPS or submitting a tip online. The Brinks recently had moved to Prairie Grove, Ark., shortly before their visit to the state park, which is located near Fayetteville in Washington County in northwestern Arkansas.
