A pair of Honduran migrants were caught after allegedly killing an American bald eagle in Nebraska with the intention of eating it.
The incident occurred on February 28, when the Stanton County Sheriff’s office was notified of a suspicious vehicle near the Wood Duck Recreation Area, the sheriff’s department said in a statement. When officers arrived, they discovered two men in possession of a dead American Bald Eagle.
The two men, Ramiro Hernandez-Tziquin and Domingo Zetino-Hernandez, both 20-years-old, were cited for unlawful possession of the eagle.
“More serious charges are possible as the investigation into the unlawful killing continues,” officials said.
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Stanton County Sheriff Mike Unger recently expressed his frustration with the federal government’s handling of the situation, saying that he has been unable to reach authorities who could jail the suspects under federal laws.
“We find this very alarming, I’m sure nationwide, but locally it’s been very alarming to the citizens,” Unger said, according to Fox News.
Unger noted that the men may have legally bought the air rifles allegedly used to shoot the eagle, which was killed on private property.
“People locally that I’ve talked to are quite upset, and they wish for something to be done. And the federal government is the one that really has the authority and the ability to prosecute these gentlemen to the highest degree,” he said. “I have tried [to call] numerous times and I have yet to speak to a human.”
