Men Charged with Killing and Trafficking Eagles for Profit

Two men from Montana and Washington have been charged with killing approximately 3,600 birds, including bald and golden eagles, over a six-year period and selling their parts on the black market. The men conspired with others to hunt and kill the birds, using tactics such as luring eagles with a dead deer. They sold eagle feathers, tails, wings, and other parts for significant sums of cash across the United States. The killings took place on the Flathead Indian Reservation and other locations. The illegal trade in eagle parts is driven by a backlog of permit requests for religious purposes, creating a market for illegal eagle parts.