Texas Man Headed to Prison for Shooting a Bald Eagle, Lying to Police

A man in Texas is headed to federal prison for shooting a bald eagle and attempting to hide the injured bird in his garage.

Santos Guerrero pleaded guilty on May 14 to the crime nearly two years after the 2024 incident in question. He was sentenced on Friday, August 21, to 14 days in federal prison and to pay a $5,000 fine.

According to a report from the Justice Department, Guerrero, 43, shot the bird out of a tree on October 11, 2024, in his backyard. He then took the injured bird and hid it under a tarp in his garage. Police were called about a shooting and reviewed video evidence showing the bird being shot and tracked it to Guerrero’s residence. Law enforcement then found the bird injured under the tarp after he lied to police about the incident.

The bird was taken to a nearby animal rescue, but it was eventually euthanized due to the severity of its injuries. The Justice Department states that a necropsy determined the bullet significantly damaged the eagle’s wing and the fall resulted in liver fractures, internal bleeding and a fractured leg.

Although bald eagles have not been considered an endangered species since 2007, they are still protected under the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. The act states that those guilty of killing a bald or golden eagle can face a $100,000 fine ($200,000 for organizations), as well as imprisonment for a year for a first offense. The punishment goes up significantly for repeat offenders.