“Eagle trafficking is wild”: Illegal slaying of roughly 3600 birds, including bald eagles gets two men indicted, netizens in disbelief

1]The bald eagles are birds of prey found in North America. 3,600 birds, including the national bird of the United States of America, were allegedly killed by two men identified as Simon Paul and Travis John Branson who then sold their feathers on the black market for more than half a decade.

According to the New York Times, the pair were indicted in Montana on Thursday, December 14, 2023. The court filings have alleged that they killed birds on the Flathead Indian Reservation in western Montana and some more unknown places.

A netizen talks about the alleged killing of birds in Montana. (Images via X/@FoxNews)

The two alleged poachers were ordered to appear in court in January. Netizens gave their opinions on the illegal killing of the birds.

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Two men indicted with killing around 3,600 birds, including bald eagles

On Thursday, two men, Simon Paul, 42, of St. Ignatius, Montana, and Travis John Branson, 48, of Cusick, were indicted in the U.S. Court for the District of Montana for killing approximately 3,600 birds, including bald eagles.

They were accused of one count of conspiracy, 13 counts of unlawful trafficking, and one count of violating the Lacey Act, according to the court filings. The Lacey Act is a federal law that was placed to fight against the trafficking of wildlife illegally removed from nature, as per the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The prosecutors have accused the two men of "knowingly and willfully" agreeing to shoot golden and bald eagles on the Flathead Indian Reservation and elsewhere, and then help each other transport and ship them out. The poachers sold the eagle feathers, tails, wings, and other parts for “significant sums of cash” on the black market for more than half a decade between January 2015 and March 2021, as per AP News.

The court was shown evidence of the alleged illegal trade. According to the indictment filings, investigators uncovered text several messages that showed Branson telling potential buyers he was “on a killing spree” on Montana's Flathead Indian Reservation to collect more bald eagles' tail feathers for future sales.

In at least one instance, the men used the carcass of a deer to lure in an eagle that was shot. As per People, the prosecutors described Paul as a “shooter” for Branson in the documents.

Netizens were outraged by the news of eagle trafficking and the illegal killing of birds. Some of the reactions are given below.

Netizens react to the bird killings. (Images via X/@FoxNews)

Netizens ask for maximum punishment. (Image via X/@FoxNews)

The texts sent among the men and their associates during that period allegedly highlighted how they planned their killings, how they contacted buyers for different parts of the birds, and how they coordinated with each other. Branson allegedly sent one message acknowledging that he was “[o]ut [here] committing felonies,” according to the indictment documents.

The one count of conspiracy has a penalty of five years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. The violation of the Lacey Act, if proven, would mean Paul and Branson face five years in prison and a $20,000 fine. According to BBC, the pair, if convicted, would be sentenced to one year of prison and have to pay a $5,000 fine for trafficking. A $10,000 and two years for second and subsequent convictions, would also be added to the mix.

The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act first enacted in 1940, was brought to protect the golden and bald eagles. The act criminalizes and punishes anyone who takes, sells, hunts, or even offers to sell the eagles or any of their parts, as per People.

The inditement also stated in the court that the bald eagles are "not merely a bird of biological interest, but this country's national symbol, which reflects America's ideals of freedom."

Whether the defendant has entered pleas to any of the charges or retained an attorney, has not been made public by the court.