Washington Man to Plead Guilty in Massive Bird Trafficking Scheme

The plea comes after a yearslong illegal operation that killed over 3,600 birds, including eagles, on a Montana Indian reservation.

Travis John Branson, a Washington state man, intends to plead guilty to illegal wildlife trafficking and other charges.
The operation involved killing more than 3,600 birds, highly valued for their feathers in Native American ceremonies.
A second suspect, Simon Paul, remains at large after failing to appear in court.
The scheme, which began in 2015 and continued until 2021, targeted eagles and other birds on the Flathead Indian Reservation.
Federal law prohibits the killing or disturbance of eagles, a symbol of the United States and sacred to American Indians.