The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is working to shut down illegal snake trafficking rings, arresting eight people in connection to the crime, four of who are from South Florida.
According to an FWC news release, the FWC filed charges against those eight people on Jan. 12.
The suspects’ charges range from second-degree misdemeanors to third-degree felonies related to the illegal trafficking of venomous and prohibited snakes.
Some of the suspects are allegedly well-established snake dealers on the black market and are accused of selling some of the most dangerous reptiles, authorities said.
During “Operation Viper,” investigators discovered that large shipments of non-native venomous snakes were being imported from all around the world.
“Some of these snakes are among the most dangerous in the world,” said Maj. Randy Bowlin, FWC DLE Investigations and Intelligence Section Leader. “Florida’s rules and laws are in place to protect the public and prevent tragedies from occurring.”
According to FWC officials, “nearly 200 snakes, consisting of 24 species from seven different regions of the globe, were purchased or sold by FWC undercover investigators to or from wildlife traffickers” during the course of the investigation.
The agency warns that the snakes could become a threat to Florida’s wildlife if they were to escape or be released.
“During this investigation, officers saw and heard disturbing evidence of widespread illegal activity, not the least of which were individuals who indicated that they were releasing or planning to release prohibited reptiles into nearby native habitat to establish a readily accessible wild breeding population,” said Investigations Section Captain Van Barrow.
According to the FWC, “wildlife trafficking ranks fourth behind drugs, weapons and humans in global activity, and is often a nexus for other illegal activity.”
According to the Wildlife Conservation Society, the profit from illicit wildlife trafficking is estimated to be between $7.8 billion and $10 billion per year.
Below is a list of the suspects arrested so far in the case:
· Joseph David Switalski, Jr., 37, of Plantation
· Jorge Javier Gonzalez, 23, of Miami
· Edward Daniel Bays, 25, of Southwest Ranches
· Dylan Isaac Levin, 30, of Palm Beach Gardens
· Delvin Eugene Sasnett, 32, of Eagle Lake
· William Chase Agee, 32, of Holly Hill
· Paul Edward Miller, 48, of Cape Coral
· Timothy James Gould, 38, of Central City, PA – arrested by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources in Georgia, issued a Notice to Appear.