LOUISIANA
Five men have been charged in New Orleans with crimes related to illegally exporting birds protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species from the United States to Taiwan, according to officials.
William McGinness, 59, of Buena Park, California; Paul Tallman, 55, of Destreham, Louisiana; Rene Rizal, 62, of La Mirada, California; Wayne Andrews, 46, of Royal Oaks, California and Alex Madriaga, 76, of Buena Park, California were each indicted in federal court Thursday.
Thursday’s five-count indictment was returned charging McGinness, Tallman, Rizal, Andrews and Madriaga with conspiracy to smuggle CITES-protected birds from the United States to Taiwan.
McGuinness was also charged with smuggling birds to Taiwan and three counts of making and submitting false records under the Lacey Act, and Tallman was charged with smuggling and one count of making and submitting false records under the Lacey Act.
The indictment alleges, among other things, that McGinness, a resident of California, and his co-conspirators created false statements and submitted them to the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service in order to illegally export CITES-protected birds from the Port of New Orleans to Taiwan.
The shipment included 90 Endangered Species-protected birds, including parrots, macaws, cockatoos and corellas.
Several of the birds were in crates that were falsely labeled. The Fish and Wildlife Service seized 14 of the birds at the airport in Houston, Texas before they were exported.
“These indictments demonstrate our commitment, shared with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to investigate and prosecute those engaged in illegal trade of protected animals,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood. “We will continue to collaborate with our partners at the federal, state and local levels to prosecute wildlife smuggling.”
“Today’s indictments were the result of a complex investigation into the wildlife trafficking of protected birds,” said Acting Assistant Director Edward Grace. “Wildlife trafficking is a serious crime that is detrimental to species around the world. I am very proud of our special agents and wildlife inspectors who helped bring these defendants to justice.”
The United States and approximately 182 other countries are signatories to the Endangered Species, which provides a mechanism for regulating international trade in species whose continued survival is threatened by such trade.