WILDLEX

This is a criminal case in which a tremendous effort to smuggle psittacine (parrot) birds into the United States from the Republic of Mexico was exposed. There is a quarantine against the importation of such species into the United States. The indictment was in ten counts. Three separate conspiracies were charged (Counts 1, 4, and 7).

A grand jury indicted Richard Mitchell ("Mitchell"), an employee of the Fish and Wildlife Service ("FWS") of the United States Department of the Interior, for violating 18 U.S.C. § 545 by smuggling the horns and hides of illegally hunted animals into the United States.

Victor Bernal and Eduardo Berges were convicted of various crimes in connection with an attempt to export two endangered primates--an orangutan and a gorilla--from the United States to Mexico in violation of the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973.

The defendant pleaded guilty of knowing receipt, concealment, and sale of illegally imported pancake tortoises.

Roy Hendricks brought a Bivens action against Walter Saroka and Jerry Woods, Special Agents for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, alleging violation of rights securied under the Fourth Amendment. The district court granted summary judgement in favor of Saroka and Woods, and Hendricks appeals (current case).

The defendant is the owner of the Marshall 201, a vessel spotted by a U.S. Coast Guard within the U.S. EEZ surrounding Baker and Howland Islands. The vessel had no permission to fish in the zone. Nevertheless, the vessel carried 130 tons of tuna presumably harvested from U.S. waters.

Fishermen in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean sought to exploit the synergy between dolphins and yellowfin tuna and began adopting a fishing method called purse seine fishing. Fishermen using this method inevitably set their nets around dolphins and tuna alike.

A citizen filled a suit seeking declaratory and injunctive relief against a county in the state of Florida. Invoking a vicarious-liability theory, the plaintiffs alleged that the county’s “refusal ... to ban beachfront artificial light sources that adversely impact sea turtles” violated the ESA’s “take” prohibition.

This matter is before the Court for the sentencing of the Defendant Tania J. Siyam. On March 21, 2008, Defendant plead guilty to two counts of violating the Lacey Act by virtue of importing and selling raw ivory and plead guilty to two counts smuggling goods into the United States.

Defendant Tamba Kaba was convicted of two counts of smuggling elephant ivory and one count of selling elephant ivory, 18 U.S.C. § 545; 16 U.S.C.