U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Office Of Law Enforcement
U.S. Fish & Wildlife ServiceOffice of LawEnforcementAccomplishments 2016Protecting the Nation’s Wildlifeand Plant Resources
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,working with others, conserves,protects, and enhances fish, wildlife,plants and their habitats for thecontinuing benefit of the Americanpeople. As part of this mission, theService – through the Office of LawEnforcement – is responsible forenforcing U.S. and internationallaws, regulations, and treaties thatprotect wildlife and plant resources.For more information, contact:U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceOffice of Law Enforcement5275 Leesburg PikeMS: OLEFalls Church, Virginia 22041-3803Phone: (703) 358-1949Email: lawenforcement@fws.govFront Cover photo: Green Sea Turtle Grazing Seagreaa: Photo Credit: By P.Lindgren /Wikimedia CommonsBack Cover photo: The endangered “i’w’” is a species of Hawaiian honeycreeperand a recognizable symbol of Hawaii. Photo Credit: By Ludovic Hirlimann /Wikimedia Commons
Message from the ChiefIn the last four years, two United States Presidents havesigned Executive Orders to strengthen United Statesand global enforcement efforts to address transnationalorganized crime involving wildlife trafficking. On behalf ofthe men and women who serve in the U.S. Fish and WildlifeService Office of Law Enforcement, I want to thank thisadministration for prioritizing the law enforcement effort tocombat illegal wildlife trafficking here in the United Statesand globally.In 2016, cases of both iconic and lesser known wildlifeillegally taken or smuggled in the United States includedorangutans, sea turtles, elephants, tigers, rhinos, Dallsheep, moose, caribou, grizzly bear, bald and golden eagles,whooping cranes, waterfowl, freshwater turtles, white tailand mule deer, elk, mountain lions, elvers, corals, seahorses,and bats. All of the wildlife listed were illegally killed and/orsmuggled by suspect(s) for financial gain.Photo: Tracey WoodyA few of the schemes the arrested poachers, traffickers, and smugglers used included smuggling carving(s) made fromelephant ivory smuggled through the United States Postal Service, declaring the ivory as “RESIN CARVINGS” valued at afraction of the actual selling price. Fresh water turtles concealed in snow boots, live turtles taped to the smuggler’s legs andgroin, and more than a 1,000 turtles were discovered hidden in boots and cereal boxes in suitcases destined from the UnitedStates to China. One smuggler was charged with trafficking 15 separate rhinoceros horns, worth an estimated 2.4 milliondollars, and hid the rhino horns in luggage. An unlicensed guide operated as an illegal outfitter, whose clients illegally killed17 bull elk and a mountain lion, in part covered up the scheme by instructing his clients to purchase other licenses. Onetrafficker shipped squirrel monkey blood and falsely labeled the blood as human blood to evade Service regulations.In 2016, we pursued over 10,000 wildlife crime investigations resulting in over 21 million in fines, over 2 million in civilpenalties, and 46 years in prison; we inspected 183,080 shipments of wildlife and wildlife products entering or leaving theUnited States; examined 2,605 pieces of evidence; and trained hundreds of other federal, state, tribal, and internationalconservation law enforcement professionals. Our focus remains on devastating threats to these resources such as theillegal trade, unlawful commercial exploitation, injurious species, habitat destruction and degradation, environmentalcontaminants, and industrial hazards.I cannot thank enough the state and tribal game wardens, conservation officers, and game rangers; federal and internationalenforcement partners; and the numerous federal, state, and county prosecutors who work closely with us to prevent theillegal trade in fish, wildlife, and plants in the United States and in other countries. But my biggest and continued thanksto the women and men in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement, now stationed globally, for theirdedication to the mission of this agency. It is truly rewarding to work with a group of professionals and friends who exhibitsuch dedication and passion to our mission, and a solid commitment to the protection of our wildlife resources.William C. WoodyChief, Office of Law Enforcement1
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Spotlight 2016The Office of Law Enforcement (OLE)continues to support wildlife conservationworldwide and prevent the illegalexploitation of species already on the brinkof extinction. In 2016, OLE accomplishedimpressive casework both in the UnitedStates and with international counterparts,expanded investigative coordination andtraining overseas, created the InternationalConservation Chiefs Academy, facilitatedU.S. consumer demand reduction efforts,continued to build capacity at home andabroad, and received several awardsincluding the prestigious Samuel J. HeymanService to America Medal for excellence ingovernment service.Operation CrashStopping the illegal wildlife trade is apriority for the OLE. In 2011, OperationCrash was initiated as an ongoing effort todetect, deter, and prosecute those engagedin the illegal killing of rhinoceros and theunlawful trafficking of rhino horns andelephant ivory. Five years later, OperationCrash has proven to be an enormoussuccess, bringing wildlife traffickers tojustice and protecting rhinos in the process.Operation Crash, named after a group ofrhinos called a “crash,” is investigated byService special agents that are assignedto the Special Investigations Unit. Todate, this operation has secured the arrestand successful prosecution of numerousPHOTOS PREVIOUS PAGES:The photo collage highlights theoutstanding work of the OLEacross the country and overseas.Pictures were taken at nationaland international law enforcementtrainings, press conferences, awardceremonies, multi-agency lawenforcement meetings, museums,and the rhinoceros horn burn in SanDiego, California. The four celebritybillboards (shown in the middle)were part of the consumer demandreduction campaign messaging withWildAid.Photos: DOI, USFWS, and WildAid4 Spotlight 2016OLE Chief William C. Woody ignites the pyre at the San Diego Zoo rhinoceros hornburn. Photo: USFWSindividuals or businesses and the disruptionof several smuggling networks. In addition,a total of 34 years of prison and 7.5million in fines and restitution have beenimposed by the courts. In 2016 alone, sevenindividuals or businesses were sentenced fortheir roles in rhino horn and elephant ivorysmuggling.In June of 2016, a senior auction official at aBeverly Hills auction house was sentencedto prison for one year and one day andordered to pay a 10,000 fine for conspiringto smuggle rhinoceros horn, elephantivory, and coral from the U.S. This was alandmark sentence because it was the firstcase concerning a major auction house. Itwas also a very complex case to investigateand bring to prosecution.During the investigation, special agentsdiscovered the subject falsified customsforms by stating that rhinoceros horn andelephant ivory items were made of bone,wood, or plastic; he and his co-conspiratorsused third-party shippers to avoid beingdetected themselves; instructed theshippers to re-ship the items from the U.S.without the required forms or permits;provided packing materials to foreignbuyers to assist them in smuggling thewildlife products from the U.S.; soldprotected wildlife items to foreign buyers;and also smuggled protected wildlifeinto the U.S. that was sold at auction tomembers of the conspiracy.To catch the defendant in action, anundercover special agent approached thesubject about the potential sale of a carving,
Spotlight 2016which was made from rhinoceros horn.Despite knowing that it was not a genuineantique, the subject and his co-conspiratorsaccepted the carving for consignment,advertised its sale to foreign clients inChina, and put the carving on the cover ofhis gallery’s catalog. The subject auctionedthe carving for 230,000 selling it to anotherundercover Service special agent. To assistwith the smuggling of the carving from theU.S., the subject offered to make a falseinvoice to show the product was made ofplastic and cost 108. In total, the estimatedmarket value of the illegal wildlife products,sold by the defendant, was at least 1 million.A separate case involved the arrest,extradition, and sentencing of a third IrishTraveler. The Irish Travelers, a groupalso known as the “Rathkeale Rovers,” aresuspected in numerous rhinoceros hornthefts across Europe. The investigationdiscovered that the subject, and twoco-defendants, created false bills of sale inan attempt to make the illegal purchaseof the horns appear legal and conspiredto traffic in black rhinoceros horns. Inaddition, they used a “straw buyer’’ topurchase two black rhinoceros horns from ataxidermist in Texas, took the horns acrossstate lines to New York, and then illegallysold those horns, along with two additionalhorns. The defendant pleaded guilty andadmitted to participating in a conspiracy toA sample of the elephant ivory productsand rhino horn libation cups seizedfrom a Canadian antiques dealer duringOperation Crash. Photo: USFWStravel to and withinthe U.S. wherehe purchased andresold rhinoceroshorns to privateindividuals, orconsigned the hornsto U.S. auctionhouses knowingthat the interstatepurchase and saleof the horns wasillegal.He was arrested byUnited Kingdomlaw enforcementat Holyhead SeaPort in the U.K. ashe disembarked aferry from Dublin,Ireland. The arrestand extradition wasdue to the teamworkled by ServiceOLE, and with theassistance of theU.S. DepartmentAt a gala award dinner, OLE Deputy Chief Ed Grace and theOperation Crash team received the 2016 Samuel J. HeymanService to America Medal - People’s Choice Award presentedby the Partnership for Public Service. The “Sammie” isconsidered the “Oscar” for excellence in government service.Photo: USFWSThe baby black rhino shown above was the first calf born on community land in over25 years. Funds garnered by Operation Crash helped to establish the Sera RhinoSanctuary, a black rhino sanctuary in Kenya. Photo: Ian CraigSpotlight 2016 5
of Justice (DOJ), and law enforcementofficials of the Durham Constabulary PoliceForce, the Irish Garda, and INTERPOL.In January of 2016, the subject wassentenced in federal court to 12 months inprison for conspiracy to violate the LaceyAct in relation to illegal rhinoceros horntrafficking.Other impressive sentencings that occurredthis year include an art dealer from SanFrancisco, a Canadian antiques dealer, anda taxidermist from Iowa. The art dealerwas sentenced to one year and two days inprison followed by three years of supervisedrelease, fined 10,000, and banned forthree years from working in the art andantique business for his role in knowinglyselling black rhinoceros horns across statelines. The Canadian antiques dealer wassentenced to two years in prison, two yearsof supervised release, ordered to forfeit 1 million and 304 pieces of carved ivory,and banned from the wildlife trade forhis role in smuggling 16 rhinoceros hornlibation cups from the U.S. to China. Thetaxidermist was sentenced to 27 months inprison followed by three years of supervisedrelease for illegally trafficking in black rhinohorn. All of these cases involved intricateillegal activities and were highly complexinvestigations.The work of Service special agents has notonly led to numerous wildlife traffickersbeing sentenced to prison, but seized assetsfrom Operation Crash, directed to theService’s Rhino Tiger Conservation Fund,benefit rhinoceroses in the wild. During acase in California, special agents seized goldbars, cash, and jewelry. A judge directedthose confiscated assets be used to helpsave wild rhinos. Funds were providedto three projects in Africa: a securityand monitoring workshop that focusedon using modern technology to protectAfrica’s and Asia’s rhinos; a black rhinoreintroduction program at the Sera WildlifeConservancy in Kenya; and a project tofortify the ecosystem in North Luangwathat will protect Zambia’s only black rhinopopulation. All of these programs have beensuccessful; however, the birth of a blackrhino at the Sera Wildlife Conservancy’s inMarch of 2016 was significant since it wasthe first black rhino born on communityland in northern Kenya in over 25 years.Although countless rhinos have beenslaughtered for the illegal horn trade,the efforts of the Operation Crash specialagents, and the DOJ, along with fundsderived from seized illegal assets aresupporting the survival of this species.6 Spotlight 2016OLE Chief Woody and David Hubbard, SAC of the International Operations Unit,attended an elephant ivory and rhino horn burning in Kenya. Photo: DOIAn attendee of the Native American Conservation Officer training participates in thefirearms qualification course. Photo: USFWS
2016Investigative StatisticsInvestigative Caseload *The Service’s Forensic Lab was able todetermine the ivory dust discovered at aband saw was from threatened Africanelephants. The surveillance photo showsthe ivory smugglers checking in theeight suitcases used in their attempt tosmuggle ivory from Tanzania to China.The saw was used to cut the ivory intopieces small enough to fit inside of thesuitcases.Photos: USFWSSpecial Agent AttachésIn 2016, the Service continued to build uponits highly successful special agent attachéprogram by deploying two additionalattachés at U.S. embassies in Beijing, Chinaand Libreville, Gabon. These new attachésjoin the existing cadre stationed in Bangkok,Thailand; Gaborone, Botswana; Lima, Peru;and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.The program has increased efforts tobuild wildlife law enforcement capacityin regions where high levels of wildlifepoaching and trafficking occur. In theshort time since these agents have beenpositioned, they have strengthenedenforcement and expanded internationalcooperation throughout the regions ofCentral and Southern Africa, Central andSouth America, and Asia. They have alsoassisted in wildlife trafficking investigationsby providing investigative expertise andtechnical assistance to local governments;trained and built capacity with internationalcounterparts; increased coordination amonggovernment agencies; and supportedWildlife Enforcement Networks (WENs)throughout their areas of responsibility.In partnership with U.S. government andlocal law enforcement, the attachés wereinstrumental in successful investigationsand prosecutions of transnational criminalorganizations that drive wildlife trafficking.An example of success through internationalcollaboration is a Service-led operation,which ended in the arrest of three Chinesenationals who attempted to smuggleeight suitcases of African elephant ivoryfrom Tanzania to China. Through sharedintelligence, the three smugglers wereintercepted by Swiss authorities at theZurich Airport.In support of this investigation, theTanzania National Transnational SeriousCrime Investigation Unit requestedassistance from Service attachés. Specialagents from the Service’s Digital EvidenceRecovery and Technical Support Unit(DERTSU) worked with Tanzanianinvestigators to create digital images ofnumerous mobile devices and computers.In addition, Service agents extracted videocoverage from the airport computers thatdocumented the subjects entering theairport in Tanzania with eight suitcases,assisted by corrupt officials. Additionally,the Service’s National Fish and WildlifeForensics Laboratory (Lab) assisted withthe DNA analysis of a white powder thatwas gathered from a band saw seized fromone of the subject’s business location.Forensics scientists determined the powderwas tusk particles from the threatenedAfrican elephant. Subsequently, it wasdiscovered that the band saw was used tocut the ivory in preparation for transport tooverseas buyers.Statute CasesAfrican Elephant40Conspiracy51Eagle Protection180EndangeredSpecies6,741False Statements23Lacey Act1,644Marine MammalProtection304Migratory Bird Stamp13Migratory Bird Treaty520Other Federal Laws76Rhino Tiger Labeling20Smuggling101State Laws131Wild BirdConservation52Total 10,350* This table reflects investigative cases workedby Service special agents and wildlife inspectorsduring FY 2016Annual Penalty Statistics *Fines 21.3MPrison (years)46Probation (years)387Civil Penalties 2.3MOther Negotiated Payments 5.3MM millionBy stationing these experts around theworld in strategic international locations,the Service has bolstered ongoinginternational partnerships to protect theworld’s wildlife from poaching and illegaltrade. The Service continues to work withthe U.S. Department of State (DOS) toplace additional special agent attachés.Spotlight 2016 7
In 2016, two ILEA Wildlife InvestigatorTraining Courses were provided inGaborone, Botswana and three inBangkok, Thailand. In attendance wereconservation law enforcement personnelfrom Angola, Botswana, Cambodia, China,Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Malawi,Malaysia, Myanmar, Mozambique, thePhilippines, Singapore, Thailand, TimorLeste, and Vietnam. The intensivetwo-week trainings included bothclassroom studies and mock investigations.A Service senior special agent instructsTanzanian officers in crime sceneinvestigation (CSI) techniques.Photo: USFWSInternational and Domestic TrainingThroughout 2016, OLE continued to expandits training mission. A cumulative total of900 training days were provided to almost3,400 law enforcement officers during 168international or domestic training missions.The focus of these trainings was to buildcapacity with international and domestic lawenforcement partners while advancing U.S.interests through international cooperation.Sharing OLE’s knowledge, skills, andabilities is paramount in the fight againstglobal wildlife crime. In 2016, 22 specialagents and eight wildlife inspectorsprovided training to 230 foreign nationalsfrom 26 countries. The InternationalLaw Enforcement Academies (ILEA) isone of the many educational institutionsOLE participates in by sending staff asinstructors. At the ILEAs, internationalwildlife law enforcement officers receivehigh-quality training and technicalassistance, build enforcement capability,and foster relationships between U.S.law enforcement agencies with theirinternational counterparts. They alsoprovide the opportunity to build strongpartnerships among regional countries, toaddress common problems associated withcriminal activity, and to develop an extensivenetwork of alumni who become the futureleaders and decision makers in theirrespective countries. For example, and asa result of the training, networks have beendeveloped between wildlife agencies acrossthe sub-Saharan region of the Africancontinent, and the U.S., to collectivelycombat the global demand placed on Africa’snative wildlife.8 Spotlight 2016Service special agents, including theThailand attaché, participated in thesecond DOS’s Marine Crime SceneInvestigations training that was held inthe Philippines. This highly successfulcourse trained 35 officials from thePhilippines’s Bureau of Fisheries andAquatic Resources, the National Bureauof Investigation, the National Police, andthe Coast Guard. Special agents sharedtheir expertise concerning hands-on crimescene processing techniques, on both landand in the marine environment.Other international training and workshopsincluded a Wildlife Trafficking Workshopin Cali, Columbia; a Caribbean WildlifeEnforcement Network Workshop in Nassau,Bahamas; a Counter Wildlife TraffickingLaw Enforcement and Species IdentificationCapacity Building Workshop in Taiwan; aSouth African Wildlife College AdvancedRanger Course in Kruger National Park;and a Protected Species Workshop in MexicoCity, Mexico. In addition, OLE hosted lawenforcement counterparts from severalcountries including Benin, Botswana,Burkina Faso, Canada, Equatorial Guinea,Ethiopia, France, Gabon, Indonesia, Kenya,Malaysia, Mexico, Mozambique, Namibia,Niger, the Philippines, Uganda, and Vietnam.For over 20
accepted the carving for consignment, advertised its sale to foreign clients in China, and put the carving on the cover of his gallery’s catalog. The subject auctioned the carving for 230,000 selling it to another undercover Service special agent. To assist with the smuggling of the carving from the U.S., the subject offered to make a false
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines 1 Chapter 1 - General Overview The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. As part of this, the Service implements
When I found One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish I was sure I’d found the best learn-to-count book and that it would explain how to count without a grown-up to get you started.7 Here’s how it begins: One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish. Black fish, blue fish old fish, new fish. This one has a litt
r. Seuss's One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish is a clas-sic children's story, a simple rhyming book for beginning readers. We need a similar rhyme to help people grasp the problems afflicting Alberta's native fish species. It might read like this: Two fish, one fish, dead fish, no fish, No grayling or goldeye, something's amiss .
Fish noun Fish noun Examples Freshwater fish live in rivers and lakes. Freshwater fish live in rivers and lakes. Saltwater fish live in oceans and seas. Saltwater fish live in oceans and seas. The fish is swimming in the water. The fish is swimming in the water. The fish is looking at the bait. The fish is looking at the bait. freshwater fish .
of wildlife management, the program has grown from the original 9 wildlife-only units and today includes 40 Coopera-tive Fish and Wildlife Research Units located on university campuses in 38 States. Signatory cooperators forming the individual units include 41 universities and 44 State fish and wildlife agencies.
regarding fish, wildlife, and habitat WAC 365-190-130 We are purveyors of BAS for fish, wildlife and habitat Under state law, WDFW has an obligation on behalf of the public to perpetuate fish and wildlife—which are considered property of the state. RCW 77.04.
Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Fish and Wildlife Division Senate Bill 3, State Agency Biennial Report, 2010-2011 . three are within R-4 /Great Falls, two are within R-5/Billings, and two are located within R-7/Miles City. Within the last two-year period, F&W added no new NRHP-eligible sites and no sites were . Madison-Wall Creek WMA .
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge 2145 Key Wallace Drive Cambridge, MD 21613 410/228 2677
