couple from Texas have been arrested after allegedly making an attempt to promote an endangered jaguar and a “close to threatened” margay.
Rafael Gutierrez-Galvan, 29, and his spouse Deyanira Garza, 28, face costs of promoting protected wildlife underneath the Massive Cat Public Security Act.
It’s the first breach of the brand new regulation, which got here into pressure in December 2022 and limits the breeding, promoting and possession of huge cats together with jaguars.
Federal officers stated Gutierrez-Galvan and Garza violated the act after promoting a margay cub and making an attempt to later promote a jaguar.
The sale of the jaguar cub was presupposed to happen on Tuesday. Gutierrez-Galvan had reportedly requested Garza to convey a case of money from their house to the situation.
Nonetheless, officers discovered the money after pulling Garza over in a visitors cease earlier than she arrived on the sale location.
Authorities stated Gutierrez-Galvan had offered a margay cub for $7,500 to the identical man in a sports activities retailer automotive park in Alamo the earlier month.
Neither Gutierrez-Galvan nor Garza has a license to purchase, promote, commerce or transport unique animals.
They have been taken into custody and made their first court docket appearances on Wednesday. If convicted, they might withstand 5 years in federal jail and a potential effective of as much as $20,000.
Authorities stated each animals have been recovered.
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