Weekly Highlights - February 12, 2021

Northeast

• An Enforcement Officer was contacted by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Service at the Detroit Wayne County International Airport regarding a shipment of fish from Africa. The EO inspected the shipment and determined it contained two boxes of Siluriformes (Catfish) being imported from Nigeria. These products are banned by the USDA from entering the United States. The EO notified the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service Investigators (FSIS). USDA FSIS contacted the importer, who voluntary abandoned the shipment and FSIS scheduled it for destruction.

Southeast

• A Cape Canaveral EO and Jacksonville SA obtained an admission from a Jet Ski operator that he intentionally harassed a right whale mother and calf.  The EO and SA investigated the incident, which occurred off Matanzas Inlet in Saint Augustine, Florida, after they were provided photo and drone footage.  They identified two subjects involved in the incident, conducted interviews and obtained the admission. A joint and several summary settlement will be prepared.

West Coast

• An EO assisted a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service inspector with an imported shipment of 28 African hunting trophies containing CITES and Non-CITES animals.

Pacific Islands

• An EO participated in a joint air patrol on board a United States Coast Guard C-130 to monitor potential MMPA Humpback Whale violations in the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. The presence of the air asset served as a deterrence for vessels who may attempt to may attempt to approach the Humpback Whale pods within 100 yards. During the patrol, two MMPA violations were observed and documented.