Texas couple arrested for promoting unique cubs and violating the Big Cat Act, authorities say

CNN
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A Texas couple who offered an unique South American cat to an secret agent was arrested whereas attempting to promote a jaguar cub to the identical agent a month later, in keeping with courtroom paperwork.

And whereas the felines could also be small in dimension, promoting them violated the federal Big Cat Public Safety Act, in keeping with the US Southern District of Texas Attorney’s Office.

Rafael Gutierrez-Galvan, 29, met with a Homeland Security Investigations particular agent “acting in an undercover capacity” at a neighborhood Academy Sports and Outdoors parking zone on August 24, in keeping with a legal grievance.

“Gutierrez-Galvan delivered a margay to the undercover agent in exchange for $7,500,” the grievance acknowledged.

Almost a month after the primary wildlife trafficking incident, Gutierrez-Galvan met with the identical secret agent to ship a jaguar cub on September 26.

When federal officers approached Gutierrez-Galvan, he stated in Spanish: “I’m just here to sell a cat,” the legal grievance famous.

Federal brokers had been conducting surveillance at Gutierrez-Galvan’s residence – and on the identical day of the second transaction, brokers seen Deyanira Garza, 28, leaving the home “carrying an object that appeared to be a type of case” to fulfill her husband, Gutierrez-Galvan, at his location.

Before Garza might meet her partner, she was pulled over by an Alamo police officer for failure to sign a flip, in keeping with the grievance.

“During the traffic stop, Garza stated there was money in the case,” the grievance stated.

Garza was taken into custody and admitted neither she nor Gutierrez-Galvan had been licensed to purchase, promote, commerce or transport unique animals, the grievance acknowledged.

If convicted, Gutierrez-Galvan and Garza can resist 5 years in federal jail, with a most superb of $20,000.

The Alamo couple’s case is the primary filed underneath the Big Cat Public Safety Act, US Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani introduced.

The measure went into impact in December 2022, prohibiting the importation, exportation, promoting and personal possession of huge cats as pets, together with cubs.

The prohibited wildlife species embody:

Private people or entities owned large cats earlier than the act went into impact are exempt, however their animals have to be registered with the Fish and Wildlife Service.