Guatemalan Man Sentenced for Killing Bald Eagle

Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Domingo Zetino Hernandez, 21, of Guatemala, was sentenced on November 14, 2023, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. United States Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson sentenced Zetino Hernandez to time served. Zetino Hernandez has been in custody since March 20, 2023. Zetino Hernandez is subject to removal proceedings with United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

On or about February 28, 2023, law enforcement received a report of a suspicious vehicle located at the Wood Duck Wildlife Management Area, located in Stanton County, Nebraska. Law enforcement arrived at Wood Duck and approached the vehicle with Ramiro Hernandez Tziquin and Zetino Hernandez as the occupants.  During the encounter, Zetino Hernandez admitted that he shot a bird and that it was in the trunk of the vehicle.  Law enforcement obtained consent to search the vehicle and found one bald eagle carcass.  Zetino Hernandez admitted to taking and possessing the bald eagle found in the trunk of the vehicle without being permitted to do so.

Co-defendant Hernandez Tziquin remains at large. Hernandez-Tziquin, who was living in Norfolk, Nebraska, at the time of the incident, is believed to have fled the local area around the time his arrest warrant was issued, and to date has not been located. Hernandez-Tziquin may currently be living with family or associates in Nebraska, Texas, or elsewhere.  The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking information regarding the current location of Hernandez-Tziquin. There may be a reward available for information leading to an arrest by calling 1-844-FWS-TIPS (1-844-397-8477) or online at  https://www.fws.gov/wildlife-crime-tips.  Callers may remain anonymous. 

This case was investigated by United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, Nebraska Games and Parks Commission, and the Stanton County Sheriff’s Office.