Two men discovered in a field with a deceased bald eagle in 2023 intended to cook and consume the bird, according to Nebraska deputies. On October 23, Ramiro Hernandez Tziquin, a Guatemalan national, was sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to violating federal laws that protect bald eagles. His co-defendant, Domingo Zetino Hernandez, also from Guatemala, received his sentence on November 14 and has since been deported. Details regarding the length of their prison sentences were not disclosed.
The Stanton County Sheriff’s Office reported that the two men were found in a field near Stanton, possessing the bald eagle they had shot and killed. They admitted to plans of cooking the eagle. Following their arrest, the men were cited for unlawful possession of an eagle and for lacking a driver’s license. In March 2023, they were indicted for illegally possessing and transporting the bald eagle. The eagle was subsequently reclaimed by Nebraska Game and Parks, along with the firearms used in the incident.
Bald eagles are protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, which makes it illegal to take, possess, sell, or purchase these birds, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Stanton is located approximately 110 miles northwest of Omaha.
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