A community in Nebraska is in turmoil after two illegal Honduran migrants reportedly killed a bald eagle with the intention of eating it.
Stanton County Sheriff Mike Unger said the incident has upset many community members and is calling on federal authorities to take action, but told ‘Fox and friends first’ Monday that he has not yet received an answer.
The sheriff’s office charged Ramiro Hernandez-Tziquin, 20, and Domingo Zetino-Hernandez, 20, both of Norfolk, Nebraska, with unlawful possession of the eagle, a misdemeanor, which is “the most we can do,” Unger said .
Killing is bald eagle is a violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940, a federal law that carries a penalty of up to one year in prison, a $100,000 fine, or both, according to the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
But federal authorities must file those charges, Unger said, adding that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has not responded to him.
The men, who were subpoenaed and released, are due to appear in court in April and may face more serious charges. Under Nebraska law, the suspects may not be held in jail until they appear in court, The Free Beacon reported.
Ramiro Hernandez-Tziquin, 20, and Domingo Zetino-Hernandez, 20, were cited after allegedly killing a bald eagle, but Stanton County Sheriff Mike Unger is calling on FBI to take action
Killing is bald eagle is a violation of the 1940 Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, a federal law that carries a penalty of up to one year in prison, a $100,000 fine, or both for a first offense. But federal authorities must file those charges, Unger said
Deputies from the Stanton County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle on private property in the Wood Duck Recreation Area — about 100 miles north of Omaha — on Feb. 28.
They found two men in possession of a dead bald eagle, the release said.
An investigation revealed that the men, both Honduran nationals, had shot and killed the eagle and said they intended to cook and eat it.
Unger said the eagle was shot on private property, which upset property owners, who called authorities to report the suspicious vehicle.
“We find this very alarming, I’m sure it’s happening all over the country, but locally it’s very alarming for citizens,” Unger said.
While the men were only charged with unlawful possession of the eagle, which caused an uproar in the community, Unger said more serious charges are possible.
“People on the ground that I have spoken to are quite upset and want something done. And the federal government is the one that really has the authority and the ability to prosecute these gentlemen to the highest degree,” he said. “I’ve tried (to call) countless times and I’ve yet to speak to a human.”
An investigation revealed that the men, who were both Honduran nationals, had shot and killed the eagle with this airsoft gun and said they intended to cook it and eat it.
Unger said the men did not speak English and it was not clear whether the men understood that bald eagles are protected by federal law.
Unger said the men did not speak English and it was not clear whether the men understood that bald eagles are protected by federal law.
“I’m trying to be as politically correct as possible when I say this, but I don’t know what kind of third world life they come from, but it must have been pretty bad,” Unger told the outlet.
Their only form of identification was documents from the Honduran consulate, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
“Their actions would lead us to believe that they probably didn’t realize it (the birds are protected) — at least not as much protected as it would be, like our national bird,” he said.
Nebraska Game and Parks was contacted and took the eagle into custody, along with the rifle used to kill the bird.
The eagle had been shot with an airsoft gun that Unger said could be purchased with cash and no ID was required to purchase the gun.
“Again, the local people I have spoken to are quite upset and want something done about it,” he said. “And the federal government is the one that really has the authority and the ability to prosecute these gentlemen to the highest degree.”
The bald eagle population has faced a decline due to hunting and habitat loss, but conservation efforts have been made and the insecticide DDT banned in 1972, which led to the bird’s removal from the Endangered Species Act in 2007 .
