Two Dominican nationals, Simon De la Cruz Paredes, 56, and Saul Enrique José De la Cruz, 39, have been sentenced to 24 months in prison each for their roles in smuggling juvenile American eels from Puerto Rico.
According to court documents, Paredes and De la Cruz spent months harvesting juvenile American eels, also known as glass eels (Anguilla rostrata), in the rivers around Levittown, Puerto Rico. The eels were worth at least $132,000 and would be worth over $1 million once raised to adulthood.
Once caught, the defendants kept the eels alive with an oxygenation system while a boat was built to travel back to the Dominican Republic. On February 21, both defendants left Puerto Rico bound for the Dominican Republic in a boat that contained 30 kilograms of glass eels, a handgun, and 850 rounds of ammunition.
Paredes and De la Cruz stated that they intended to sell the eels in the Dominican Republic, after which the fish would be shipped to Asia. However, their plans were foiled when the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted their boat about 40 miles off the coast of Puerto Rico.
The defendants refused to stop their boat, and the Coast Guard was forced to neutralize the vessel’s engines, after which they were arrested and indicted. Paredes and De la Cruz both pleaded guilty to smuggling the eels in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 554 and trafficking in illegal wildlife in violation of the Lacey Act.
This case highlights the importance of protecting our natural resources and the environment. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has made it a priority to protect our natural resources, and this conviction is a testament to their commitment. This case also highlights the effectiveness of joint enforcement efforts between agencies to detect and prosecute wildlife trafficking.
Paredes and De la Cruz are the latest in a string of individuals and organizations to be convicted for their roles in wildlife trafficking. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement, NOAA, and the Coast Guard have all worked tirelessly to bring these individuals to justice, and this conviction is a significant step in that effort.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement have vowed to continue their efforts to protect our natural resources and hold those who seek to exploit them accountable.
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Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: Wildlife Trafficking|Environmental Crime|Poaching
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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