Federal officials are probing a pair of Honduran nationals accused of killing and planning to eat a Bald Eagle in Stanton County, Nebraska, Breitbart News has learned.
The Stanton County Sheriff’s Office arrested 20-year-old Ramiro Hernandez-Tziquin and 20-year-old Domingo Zetino-Hernandez late last month on misdemeanor charges related to the incident where police said the two killed a North American Bald Eagle near the Wood Duck Recreation Area in a field and planned to cook and eat the bird.
The air rifle allegedly used by a pair of Honduran nationals in Nebraska to kill a Bald Eagle. (Photo via Stanton County Sheriff’s Office)
Hernandez-Tziquin and Zetino-Hernandez do not speak English and carried only Honduran consulate identification cards. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials told Breitbart News they have no prior history with the pair and have not lodged detainers on either.
Previously, reports circulated that federal officials were reluctant to charge Hernandez-Tziquin and Zetino-Hernandez even as killing a Bald Eagle violates the 1940 Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
Now, Stanton County Sheriff Mike Unger tells Breitbart News that federal officials with United States Fish and Wildlife are probing the case following public pressure, confirming that the agency has interviewed Hernandez-Tziquin and Zetino-Hernandez.
Likewise, the Stanton County District Attorney’s Office is looking into whether it will charge Hernandez-Tziquin and Zetino-Hernandez with additional crimes.
After arriving on the scene, Nebraska Game and Parks officials took custody of the dead Bald Eagle and the pair’s rifle. Photos first shared with Breitbart News show the Honduran nationals soon after they were encountered by officers as well as the air rifle allegedly used to kill the bird.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.