'Deeply disturbing' animal cruelty operation involving baby monkeys busted by ICE investigation
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) investigation in Florida busted a "deeply disturbing" illegal animal cruelty operation involving baby monkeys by U.S. citizen Francisco Javier Ravelo.
According to the Justice Department, Ravelo, 36, pleaded guilty in federal court to distributing videos depicting the torture of both adult and baby monkeys that involved mutilation and burning. The DOJ said Ravelo personally distributed more than 40 torture videos and that his actions violated the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump during his first term.
Ravelo now faces up to seven years in prison.
The DOJ said the animal cruelty scheme was exposed in an investigation by ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which is the primary criminal investigations arm of the Department of Homeland Security.
Jason Reding Quiñones, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, called the case "deeply disturbing" and evidenced a willingness on the part of Ravelo to "inflict suffering without remorse."
"As a former state court trial judge who presided over domestic violence cases, I was trained to recognize lethality factors, warning signs that violence is escalating. Deliberate cruelty to animals is one of the clearest red flags," he said. "It reflects a willingness to dominate, torture and inflict suffering without remorse."
Quiñones condemned Ravelo’s actions in no uncertain terms, calling it a "serious federal crime" that he said "fuels a market built on brutality."
Adam Gustafson, principal deputy assistant attorney general of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, commented that "if you are involved in this sadistic activity, we will prosecute you."
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said that while Ravelo "didn’t count on HSI being able to track him down, pull together evidence and present it to the judge… now he knows better."
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"Homeland Security Investigations pieced together the case that led to Ravelo’s guilty plea," said Lyons, adding, "I hope this serves as a warning to others who acquire or distribute this kind of content: HSI will find you, and you’ll end up in federal court just like Ravelo did."
Upon signing the PACT Act in 2019, Trump said, "It is important that we combat these heinous and sadistic acts of cruelty, which are totally unacceptable in a civilized society."
Trump said the passage of the PACT Act was "something that should have happened a long time ago."
This year, Trump also launched a new multi-agency initiative to strengthen enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act, specifically targeting chronic puppy mill violators and dogfighting rings. The move was commended by Humane World for Animals.
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In a statement announcing the initiative, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Trump administration agencies are "taking historic actions" to hold chronic pet welfare violators accountable.
The agency said the initiative "will boost compliance with existing laws, protect our companion animals," and reiterates that the Trump administration "stands with the majority of Americans" who are pet owners.