Texans plead guilty to peddling jaguar skins 
Two Texans have pleaded guilty in a federal court in Florida to conspiring to violate the federal laws while trafficking the skins of jaguars.Elias Garcia, 53, and Maria Angela Plancarte, 53, both of La Feria, Texas, entered their pleas Nov. 22 in Miami.
The defendants were the operators of a plant seed company. But, according to court records, they started peddling jaguar skins in 2008 in South Florida.
They later offered to sell jaguar skins in Texas, according to the records.
A year ago in La Feria, they sold two jaguar pelts to undercover U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents for $3,000 and offered to sell 10 more pelts, according to court records.
The skins apparently came from Mexico. Jaguars have been gone from Texas for about 100 years. Their range once stretched from South Texas, through East Texas and portions of the Red River country.
Consequently, the jaguar is listed as “endangered” under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. That law makes it unlawful to sell any endangered wildlife, or parts of the animals.
Also, the U.S. Lacey Act makes it illegal for a person to sell or receive any fish or wildlife that were sold in violation of any U.S. law; in this case it’s the Endangered Species Act.
Sentencing for the defendants is set for March 5, 2012. Both face up to five years in prison, a criminal fine of up to $250,000, and three years of supervised release.
