Santos Guerrero will spend just 14 days in prison after he shot a bald eagle in his Porter backyard, hid the wounded bird under a tarp in his garage and later lied to authorities, prosecutors announced Friday.
Guerrero, 43, pleaded guilty May 14 to violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray ordered him to pay a $5,000 fine.
Guerrero faced up to one year in federal prison and a $100,000 fine.
During the sentencing hearing, the court heard evidence that Guerrero shot the eagle on October 11, 2024. The court reviewed images from video and body camera footage documenting the bird before the shooting and after law enforcement found it.
Eagle found wounded under tarp
Authorities responded to reports of the shooting and reviewed video showing the eagle being shot and falling from a tree. Investigators matched the tree in the footage to one on Guerrero’s property.
Law enforcement found the injured eagle beneath a tarp in Guerrero’s garage and took it to an animal hospital. Veterinarians later euthanized the bird because of the severity of its injuries.
A necropsy found that the bullet significantly damaged the eagle’s wing. The fall caused liver fractures, internal bleeding and a broken leg, prosecutors said.
Federal law still protects bald eagles
The federal government removed bald eagles from the endangered species list, but federal law continues to protect the birds under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. The law bars people from killing or possessing bald or golden eagles or dealing in the birds, their parts, nests or eggs without federal authorization.
A first offense can bring up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. A second violation becomes a felony, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Guerrero remained free on bond after sentencing and will voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility that officials will select. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigated the case with help from Texas Parks and Wildlife. Assistant U.S. Attorney Liesel Roscher prosecuted the case.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, a federal judge gave Texas resident John Patrick Butler five years of probation and ordered him to pay $77,500 in restitution in May for his role in a black-market ring that killed about 3,600 bald and golden eagles and other birds. The ring’s organizer received 46 months in federal prison in 2024.
Provided by Dallas Express
