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Florida diver convicted of freeing 19 sharks says he's ‘speechless' after getting pardon from President Trump

Florida diver convicted of freeing 19 sharks says he's ‘speechless' after getting pardon from President Trump

New York Post18 hours ago

A Florida-based shark diver convicted of illegally freeing marine wildlife intended for research off the Sunshine State's coast was left 'speechless' after receiving a surprise pardon from President Trump.
Tanner Mansell, 31, received the shocking news while boarding a plane on May 28, nearly five years after he was first accused of unwittingly cutting a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration longline and releasing 19 sharks and a giant grouper back into the ocean.
'We were really surprised to get the pardon,' Mansell told Fox News Digital.
4 Tanner Mansell reacting to receiving a presidential pardon.
FOX News
'I was getting a call from my lawyer and I answered, and he says, 'Well, I've got good news for you. You just got a full presidential pardon.' I was speechless. I couldn't even say thank you. I just soaked it in.'
Mansell and his charter boat captain, John Moore Jr., who also received a pardon, were ordered to fork over more than $3,300 in restitution after they were convicted in 2022 of theft of property within special maritime jurisdiction.
4 Mansell, 31, received the shocking news while boarding a plane on May 28.
FOX News
The two men avoided prison time but were ultimately prevented from voting in Florida, owning firearms, and traveling freely outside the country – a condition that had long hindered Mansell's ability to obtain travel visas to carry out his conservation efforts.
'I'm just so grateful,' he told the outlet.
'I have said thank you every step of the way. Words can't explain it. I've always considered myself a law-abiding citizen, somebody that doesn't break the law and I respect law enforcement and commercial fishermen.'
4 Donald Trump granted the pardon to Mansell and his charter boat captain.
AFP via Getty Images
In August 2020, the pair of divers came across the longline connected to a buoy about three miles off Jupiter Inlet and, believing it to be illegal, cut it, freeing the apex predators and grouper in the process, according to court documents.
The men reported their actions to state wildlife officials and brought the line back to shore – but were later hit with federal charges and ultimately found guilty by a jury two years later.
'In our mind, the entire time, we thought we were uncovering a crime rather than committing a crime,' Mansell said.
4 Diver interacting with a shark underwater.
FOX News
'I just felt like my world came to a stop, my heart sank. We called [law enforcement], we did everything that we could. The judge made a comment, and he commended us for our dedication to [the environment]. He gave out what my lawyer said was probably the lowest sentence ever.'
Mansell's attorney, Ian Goldstein, told the outlet that the case should never have been filed, framing the maritime incident as an 'honest mistake' made by two individuals saving sharks they believed were in danger.
'I can't think of two individuals more deserving of a Presidential Pardon,' Goldstein said.
With Post wires.

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‘OK, we're really doing this?': Ontario's 22 Wing North Bay recounts its role in interception of wayward G7 plane
‘OK, we're really doing this?': Ontario's 22 Wing North Bay recounts its role in interception of wayward G7 plane

Hamilton Spectator

time17 minutes ago

  • Hamilton Spectator

‘OK, we're really doing this?': Ontario's 22 Wing North Bay recounts its role in interception of wayward G7 plane

Members of an Ontario-based division of the Royal Canadian Air Force were hoping for a 'boring' day when world leaders arrived for the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alta. earlier this month. Instead, 22 Wing North Bay ended up playing a key role in a co-ordinated effort to intercept a wayward aircraft from restricted airspace, working in tandem with NORAD, the Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Also known as the Canadian Air Defence Sector, 22 Wing North Bay responded on June 15 when a private plane ignored warnings to leave the area. Major Ross Nevile, the Canadian Air Defence sector's lead planner and assistant director of operations, said special measures are put in place whenever the president of the United States or other world leaders come to Canada. 'We plan for the worst. We do all the contingency planning you can possibly imagine to respond and be ready for the worst day. But the best day for us is when it's absolutely boring,' said Nevile. The North Bay unit provides surveillance, identification, control and warning for the aerospace defence of Canada and North America at the Sector Air Operations Centre. Strict no-fly zones were in place during the summit, which included leaders from Canada, the U.S., Germany, Japan, France, the U.K, Italy and the European Union. Flight restrictions covered Kananaskis Village and Calgary International Airport. On June 15, the day world leaders were slated to arrive, weapons director Lt. Glenn Butler was looking at the radar feed through his scope when he saw an aircraft closing in on the restricted area. The plane was later determined to be a small fixed-wing unit. But Butler noted the plane appeared as a dot on his radar, so there was no way of knowing at the time whether it was a small plane or larger multi-engine aircraft. 'When we first saw the plane come up, there was a slight moment when we all looked at each other and said, 'OK, we're really doing this?'' he recalled. 'All the hard work that the planners had prepared us for really paid off once we decided this was happening.' Butler said the Canadian Air Defence Sector worked seamlessly with its partners to escort the aircraft away from the restricted airspace. 'All of our training kicked in and the teamwork really flowed together. All decisions and all the check marks we had to hit, we did in a timely and efficient manner,' he said. Once the Canadian Air Defence Sector determined the plane had entered the no-fly zone, the agency contacted its headquarters in Winnipeg, the RCMP and the government of Canada. Shortly thereafter, officials decided to take action against the aircraft. During the G7, 22 Wing North Bay had two concurrent crews working, one on the defence of Canada as a whole and a separate 'Operation Cadence' crew working on the protection of world leaders at the G7. 'We step up our game and work especially harder on the planning and enforcement side of things to keep Canadians safe while also maintaining our responsibility to Canada as a whole,' Nevile said. Nevile said months of security planning goes into each G7 summit held in Canada. During the 2018 G7 Summit in the Charlevoix region of Quebec, there were no issues with aircraft entering restricted airspace, Nevile added. Back then, Nevile held the role of weapons director, the same position Butler held for this year's event. But when the aircraft pilot didn't respond to warnings on June 15, Butler knew it wasn't going to be a routine afternoon. As the plane approached the restricted airspace, warnings were broadcast via a radio frequency pilots are required to follow. The pilot was warned to turn back or be intercepted. But with no response from the pilot, Butler said a decision was made to intercept the aircraft using two CF-18 Hornet fighter jets, which escorted the small plane to Cold Lake, Alta. While it wasn't the boring day the team was hoping for, Nevile said he was impressed with the way the crew handled the situation. 'I couldn't be more proud of the team,' he said. 'Everybody was professional and efficient and safe in the execution of the restricted airspace.' Despite a few protests, the recent G7 leaders' summit wrapped up peacefully on June 17. No arrests or tickets were issued, according to the RCMP . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .

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