EXPORTED LIVE AMERICAN EELS WITHOUT INFORMING THE US FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE
On February 29, 2024, a federal grand jury in Puerto Rico indicted two Dominican nationals for “smuggling goods from the United States.”
Apparently SEJDLC and SDLCP exported juvenile American eels without declaring then to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, as required by federal law. They also transported the fish in violation of US regulations and “failed to heave” when the US Coast Guard ordered that they stop their vessel.
When the boat was eventually boarded, officers found 22 bags, with over 5,000 live American eels per bag, that were being shipped from Puerto Rico to the Dominican Republic.
In a written statement, United States Attorney Muldrow noted that, “ The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to enforcing federal environmental protection laws and to holding violators responsible for the harm they cause. These laws protect the animals, resources, and habitats within Puerto Rico.”
If convicted the two men face up to 20 years in prison.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unti proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
That news had to have made them eel.