Eight people have been charged in Florida with smuggling nearly 200 venomous snakes, several of them considered the deadliest in the world.
FWC
Eight people were charged in Florida with smuggling nearly 200 venomous snakes, several of which are considered the deadliest in the world and are banned in several countries, authorities said.
The charges were brought after a three-year investigation under the so-called “Operation Viper,” the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said.
The investigation began in 2020 after the FWC received intelligence reports and complaints alerting to the existence in Florida of a “black market for the sale of illegal and very dangerous venomous reptiles.”
FWC undercover investigators bought or sold nearly 200 snakes, including 24 species from seven regions of the world, to wildlife traffickers. Some of those species include taipan, bushmaster, rhinoceros viper, African viper, Gaboon viper, green mamba, eyelash viper, various species of spitting cobra, forest cobra, puff viper, and saw-scaled vipers.
This type of trade is not allowed and the individuals involved showed complete disregard for the regulatory framework designed to keep Floridians safe, authorities said.
“Some of these snakes are among the most dangerous in the world,” Maj. Randy Bowlin, leader of FWC DLE’s intelligence and investigations section, said in a statement. “Florida’s rules and laws exist to protect the public and prevent tragedies from occurring.”
Much of the illegal activity took place on specialized websites or on private social media accounts. Once these black market deals were arranged, violators quickly moved on to in-person meetings where they agreed to buy or sell potentially deadly species from undercover officials with full knowledge that they were unlicensed and could not legally purchase these snakes.
Some of these people included wholesale traders who imported large shipments of non-native venomous snakes from various countries around the world.
The FWC secured search warrants for many of the social media accounts to prove that illegal activity was occurring and to identify additional subjects.
Georgia DNR and the FWC also worked together on this investigation to target other suspects who were illegally transporting shipments of venomous snakes across the country in violation of multiple state laws.
The FWC used undercover agents to determine the extent of this black market and apprehend the offenders, eight of whom were charged Friday with crimes ranging from “second degree to third degree crimes related to the illegal trafficking of prohibited venomous snakes.” .
The defendants were identified by the FWC as Delvin Eugene Sasnett, 33, of Eagle Lake; William Chase Agee (33) of Holly Hill; Dylan Isaac Levin (31) of Palm Beach Gardens; Edward Daniel Bays (26) of Southwest Ranches; Jorge Javier Gonzalez (24) from Miami; Paul Edward Miller (49) of Cape Coral; Joseph David Switalski, Jr. (38) of Plantation and Timothy James Gould (39) of Central City, Pennsylvania.
The illegal sale, purchase, transport and caging of these regulated animals poses a significant threat to public safety, undermines legitimate captive wildlife traders that operate legally, and threatens the long-term well-being of state wildlife populations, he said. the FWC.
“If these illegal and dangerous non-native species were to escape, they could easily live and breed in Florida’s subtropical climate,” he warned.
Black market for snakes
The investigation turned up additional suspects both inside and outside of Florida.
FWC investigators realized early on in the investigation that the black market for venomous reptiles in Florida was robust and that the subjects identified in the operation traded reptiles frequently and in large numbers, often with or from unauthorized persons. .
Caging, tagging, transportation, and handling regulations were also often ignored by the subjects and cited in court documents related to the charges against the detainees.
“Some of the people arrested for this operation are established snake dealers,” said FWC Commission Chairman Rodney Barreto. “Our law enforcement officers will continue to hold accountable those who fail to comply with the rules that protect our state’s natural resources.”
Wildlife trafficking ranks fourth after drugs, weapons and humans in global activity and is often a nexus for other illegal activities.
There are many different estimates of the value of illegal wildlife trafficking around the world. According to the Wildlife Conservation Society, illegal wildlife trafficking is estimated to be between $7.8 billion and $10 billion per year.
Journalist and editor specializing in Latin America, judicial, business and local issues related to the Latin American community. Much of her career was spent in international news agencies. Her investigative work “Emigrating to Death: Murdered Venezuelans in Latin America” received the 2019 FSNE and SPJ Sunshine State awards.
Source: El Nuevo Herald
