Guatemalan man sentenced for possession of bald eagle

OMAHA, Neb.— A Guatemalan man was sentenced in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Ramiro Hernandez Tziquin, 22, was sentenced to time served by U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson on Wednesday. Hernandez Tziquin has been in custody since June and now faces removal proceedings by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The incident occurred on Feb. 28, 2023, when law enforcement responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle at the Wood Duck Wildlife Management Area in Stanton County, Neb. Officers found Hernandez Tziquin and another man, Domingo Zetino Hernandez, inside the vehicle. Zetino Hernandez admitted to shooting a bird, which was discovered to be a bald eagle in the trunk. Hernandez Tziquin admitted to possessing the bird without a permit.

Zetino Hernandez was sentenced to time served in a related case on Nov. 14, 2023. The investigation involved the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, and Stanton County Sheriff's Office.