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 (CITES) from the United States to Taiwan.  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 in the eastern District of Louisiana today.

On May 31, 2018, a 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 United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in order to illegally export CITES-protected birds from the Port of New Orleans to Taiwan. The shipment included 90 CITES-protected birds, including parrots, macaws, cockatoos and corellas. Several of the birds were in crates that were falsely labeled. The USFWS seized 14 of the birds at the airport in Houston, Texas before they were exported. Read more

AUSTIN — State game wardens issued more than 150 citations to 19 fish markets and restaurants in the Houston area that illegally purchased game fish from undercover officers during a recently completed sting conducted by the Special Operations unit of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Law Enforcement Division.

During the two-year operation, wardens in plain clothes offered to sell more than a dozen different Texas saltwater species including spotted sea trout, red drum (redfish), red snapper, southern flounder, black drum, catfish and croaker to seafood markets and restaurants along the upper Texas coast.

Of concern is the heightening demand for these aquatic resources, particularly highly-regulated red snapper, which led to this enhanced law enforcement intervention. Commercial harvest of red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico is strictly managed and monitored to ensure the long-term health of the fishery. Catches are tracked against an annual poundage quota limit, and red snapper sold into the market outside the legal system pose threats to the resource, as well as the commercial fishing industry that depends on it.

Evidence that some businesses are willing to work outside the law to obtain product, nearly half of the 40-plus businesses approached during the operation agreed to illegally purchase game fish. A similar undercover operation conducted by Texas game wardens between 2010-12 resulted in illegal purchases by only nine of 42 businesses targeted.

“Our objective with this operation was to identify and through law enforcement intervention disrupt the influx of illegal fish trade,” said Maj. Chris Davis, who heads TPWD’s law enforcement special operations. “About half of those we approached said no, so that was encouraging. But, many businesses were eager to buy aquatic products illegally, and wanted to place orders for more.”

Davis said wardens received tips from various sources identifying businesses known to purchase fish under the table, and began approaching those businesses using aquatic product seized from other cases. The risks extend well beyond conservation of the resource. Read more