⏱ 3 min read
A Texas man is behind bars after a brazen eagle trafficking operation was busted in Montana. John Patrick Butler, 71, pleaded guilty in December 2025 to conspiring with others to traffic bald and golden eagles.
Butler, a seasoned wildlife trafficker, requested the killing of specific eagles, including ‘crispy ones,’ and paid thousands of dollars for their tail feathers. Co-defendants hunted and killed an astonishing 3,600 birds, including eagles, on the Flathead Indian Reservation and elsewhere.
The eagles were then sold on the black market, with Butler using online payment methods like PayPal to facilitate the transactions. Postal records and text messages confirmed the receipt of the eagles and their parts at his Texas residence.
On December 14, 2020, Butler paid $450 for two tail feather sets, including a golden eagle tail set and a bald eagle tail set. The killing of eagles is fueled by individuals willing to purchase them on the black market.
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📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Wildlife Trafficking
- Defendant: montana
- Location: MT
- Source: DOJ Press Release
