These poachers were brazen enough to even sell hatchlings. Photo: Blair Witherington//Facebook
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced that a years-long investigation has put a syndicate of poachers behind bars. Ten people were arrested, facing prison sentences as high as 75 years for an operation in the Gulf of Mexico that sold illegally captured fish and sea turtles.
The commission said they tied approximately 23,000 pounds of illegally captured fish to the group. They had sold more than $178,000 worth of animals, including fish, mainly red snapper and gag groupers; shrimp; and five protected sea turtles, including two hatchlings.
“Using nighttime offloads, private residences, and on-the-water transfers, the subjects went to great lengths to evade law enforcement and cheat the system,” the commission said. “Three of the subjects even harvested protected marine sea turtles on multiple occasions, selling three adults and two hatchlings to undercover FWC investigators.”
“Thankfully, our investigators released the sea turtles unharmed,” the statement continued.
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For four years, officials carried out the investigation called Operation Stolen Waters. They seized three vessels and arrested 10 people ranging in ages from 20 to 68. The suspects face charges including racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, unlawful possession or sale of marine turtles, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device, among others.
The case began in May 2022 when officers received complaints from individuals who were approached by poachers looking to sell illegally obtained fish. Undercover agents then set up stings to buy from the poachers and build a case against them.
“Commercial fishermen are an integral part of our communities and Florida’s economy,” said Alberto Maza, director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Division of Law Enforcement. “The actions of these poachers undermine Florida’s resources, the livelihoods of law-abiding fishermen, and the interests of all Floridians.”
