Zach Wendling
OMAHA — Two Guatemalan men sentenced in federal court for illegally killing and possessing a bald eagle in Stanton County will be subject to deportation hearings.
Nebraska U.S. Attorney Susan Lehr announced Wednesday that Ramiro Hernandez Tziquin, 22, was officially sentenced for violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act enacted in 1940. Another Guatemalan man, Domingo Zetino Hernandez, was sentenced Nov. 14, 2023, for the same violation.
The law generally prohibits anyone, unless they have a U.S. Department of the Interior permit, from “taking” bald or golden eagles, including any part of the birds (such as feathers), eggs or nests.
The crime is a misdemeanor with a maximum fine of $100,000 or up to one year in prison, or both, on a first offense. It is a felony on a subsequent offense, and penalties significantly increase on future violations.
On or about Feb. 28, 2023, law enforcement investigated a report of a suspicious vehicle at the Wood Duck Wildlife Management Area in Stanton County.
Upon arriving, law enforcement approached the vehicle with Hernandez Tziquin and Zetino Hernandez. Zetino Hernandez admitted to shooting and taking the eagle, and Hernandez Tziquin admitted to possessing the bird found in the trunk without being permitted to do so.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson sentenced both men to “time served,” or the time they had already spent in jail. Zetino Hernandez was taken into custody March 20, 2023, according to a previous news release, and Hernandez Tziquin was taken into custody June 6.
Both are subject to deportation proceedings with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and Stanton County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
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