The Federal Court No. 2 of San Nicolás, under the charge of Judge Carlos Villafuerte Ruzo, issued the indictment without preventive detention of two individuals accused of selling wild birds from poaching, within the framework of a case for wildlife trafficking and environmental depredation.
The investigation was driven by the Decentralized Prosecutor’s Office of San Nicolás, under the direction of prosecutor Matías Di Lello.
Protected birds, social networks, and notebooks with evidence
The supplier operated from Granadero Baigorria and sold species through Facebook.
During the raids carried out in February 2024, 20 cages with species such as golden finches, blue tanagers, red-crested cardinals, black-chinned siskins, and yellow-winged blackbirds were seized, along with notebooks with notes on prices, sales, and dead specimens, confirming the illicit activity.
“The legally protected asset is the wildlife itself, beyond its utility for the individual,” highlighted Judge Villafuerte Ruzo.
Investigation and monitoring: how the wild bird trafficking network was detected
The Argentine Federal Police surveyed suspicious movements and social media posts.
The case began in 2023, when the San Nicolás Federal Operational Unit Division Brigade detected that a man was selling birds in the Plastiversal neighborhood.
In the Facebook group “Gallinas San Nicolás,” the user Darío G. offered “birds of all kinds,” including Amazon parrots.
Through intelligence work, the entry of a van with cages to the defendant’s home was recorded, and the delivery of specimens by Sergio G., a native of Granadero Baigorria, was verified.
Raids and rescue of wildlife
The birds were handed over to the Environmental Control Brigade and transferred to Temaikén Foundation.
- San Nicolás: cardinals, black-chinned siskins, and dead birds were found
- Granadero Baigorria: 29 live birds were found, including finches, blue tanagers, yellow-winged blackbirds, and a manon bird
Notebooks with contacts and sales records were also seized, one of them inside a vehicle parked in the garage.
Species at risk and legal framework
The birds are protected by Law 22.421 and some are listed in international agreements.
Inspector Mariángeles Montero, legal advisor to the Environmental Control Brigade, confirmed that all species belong to the native wildlife.
Some, such as the red-crested cardinal and the manon bird, are included in Appendix II of CITES, which regulates the international trade of threatened species.
Criminal responsibility and precautionary measures
Seizures and inhibitions for up to one million pesos for the defendants.
The judge considered the materiality of the facts proven and ordered seizures of $600,000 and $1,000,000 respectively. In case of insufficient assets, the general inhibition of both defendants was ordered.
