Seven snakes on a US flight to Brazil. Missing the "eighth passenger". This is not a Hollywood thriller, although it could be. But why snakes are flying to Brazil? International trafficking of wild animals, this is the answer.
Earlier this year the American Court decided to return to Brazil snakes that were seized by the FBI during Operation Boitatá. The repatriation of the Princess Diamond’s descendants, the one million dollars serpent, will take place in the week after the World Environment Day (June 5) and is the latest achievement of this international operation, led by the Brazilian Government.
Another achievement occurred in August last year, when the American citizen Jeremy Stone, responsible for this criminal act, pleaded guilty on the American Court and was sentenced to one year of house arrest. *
Why so i'm not with the chest filled with pride and excerpts from a Verissimo's chronic do not leave my mind?
"One day, brother, we will celebrate our victory with a feast ...
We haven't cards on streets as heroes of the Resistance, but we are aware that the barbarians have not gone ...
- How, heroes? How they’re not gone? My dear, didn’t they spoke? ...
- The barbarians won! "
Maybe I'm being too austere. After all, all the investigated facts were confirmed. Although the process is still ongoing, the Brazilian defendants have spent a few months in jail, the US accused confessed to the crime and the descendants of Princess Diamond found by the FBI will be returned to Brazil. The Boitatá Operation can be considered a success!
Still, one question troubles my mind: Where is Princess Diamond? Where is this almost mythological animal, considered by its own captor as the "Holy Grail" of snakes? Only known specimen of its specie with the rare genetic trait of total leucism, a fact that makes it the rarest animal on the planet, one of the most beautiful in the world and, unfortunately, one of the most valuable as well.
According to information from the avowed international animal trafficker, Princess Diamond came to death in his breeding on January 2013. This was its second death not confirmed. That, for obvious reasons, I can not believe.
Anyway, the criminal actions of Mr. Jeremy Stone and the absurd commercial breeding of wild animals he represents, caused one of the most wonderful and rare wild animals on the planet, banishment, without leaving any trace . Unless the videos made by the same international trafficker, which are still used to increase his profits on his business, which still benefits from the rare and extreme beauty of this sad animal, which had its passage through the planet substantially shortened by the infamous acts of Mr. Jeremy Stone.
But not only this question troubles my mind. Others, equally disturbing accompany:
If, as reported by Mr. Jeremy Stone, the Brazilian leucistic boa came to death on its breeding and was buried in his garden why its carcass was not recovered and a DNA analysis done to confirm this information, probably false? Death through the hands of the criminal, with the kidnapping followed by death, should not be considered an aggravating rather than mitigating circumstances?
If Mr. Jeremy Stone confessed his guilt, could he continue to use images of Princess Diamond to promote his business and increase profits? After all, this animal belongs to Brazil and its images were obtained through international crime.
If, before the crime, the leucism gene did not exist in Mr. Jeremy Stone’s snakes, how such gene appeared on his breeding just after the alleged death of the leucistic animal he had trafficked? It would not be appropriate to do genetic analysis on these snakes, and if their parentage is confirmed, they should not also be repatriated to Brazil?
If the descendants of Brazilian snake that were in possession of Mr. Jeremy Stone are being repatriated, it would not be appropriate to do the same with the snakes he sold before the Boitatá Operation? After all, they’re all originated from the same criminal conduct.
Will the countries for which the first snakes were sold (Italy, Peru, Canada, Japan and Texas/USA), all signatories to the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), be so condescending on Mr. Jeremy Stone's illegal activities and allow animals from criminal origin remain in their countries?
Will buyers, who in good faith believed Mr. Jeremy Stone’s honesty, want to continue with these snakes, now that they are sure of its criminal origin? Will they require the return of US$60,000.00 that they came to pay for these animals? Will they require millionaire compensation for having been deceived by Mr. Jeremy Stone, and even unknowingly, helped to enrich an international criminal?
Mr. Jeremy Stone will actually restart selling snakes on all over the world on early August, as he has stated on the internet? Will the CITES allow an avowed international criminal continues to sell snakes of the same specie he had trafficked, especially knowing that many of these animals might be direct descendants from the trafficked animal? Will the almost 180 signatory countries of CITES allow animals sold by an avowed international criminal enter their territories?
How come Mr. Jeremy Stone, even being on Interpol red notice list for international trafficking of wild animals, managed to get in and out of Europe (Italy and the Netherlands at least) in July 2013, without even being bothered? Does the same would have happened if he was wanted for terrorism?
Is it coincidence that just before entering the US with snakes covered up by false documents, as if they had been captured in the jungle of Guyana, Mr. Jeremy Stone has been arrested by the Federal Police in Manaus International Airport/AM, when, along with his sister Keri Ann Stone, tried to leave for the US, while she wore a false empty belly, with enough space to hide a small snake? And then, days later, Mr. Jeremy Stone has again entered Brazil, this time by dry border between Guyana and the state of Roraima?
Is it just coincidence that in the house of the ZooNit/RJ manager (zoo where Princess Diamond was before being trafficked), that was visited by Mr. Jeremy Stone during the same period, has been found a photo in which he and Mrs. Giselda Candioto are smilingly embraced in the US?
Many questions, few answers. Many crimes, small punishment.
Maybe that's what troubles my mind.
But maybe I just need to be less anxious, after all, a war is won from battle to battle. And there is no doubt that another battle was won. And, given the many unanswered questions, many other battles are to come.
"One day, brother, we will celebrate our victory with a feast"
One day !!!
I still have an almost childlike hope of finding Princess Diamond alive and bring it back to our brazilian lands, place where it should never have been taken, much less for reasons such vile as easy profit by animal exploitation, vanity and greed of Mr. Jeremy Stone and Mrs. Giselda Candioto.
One day ??? !!!
I also start to have a strong conviction that no !!! This time the barbarians have not passed !!! And will not pass !!! At least not these !!! Not on my watch!!!
Carlos Magno Abreu
(*) Note: Environmental Crimes Section – Monthly Bulletin – september 2014: “On August 18, 2014, Jeremy Stone was sentenced to serve 12 months’ home confinement as a condition of a one-year term of probation. Jeremy Stone is the owner of Jeremy Stone Reptiles, which breeds and sells boa constrictors. In January 2009, Stone arranged for the shipment of four boa constrictors from Miami, Florida, to Lindon, Utah. This shipment came from Guyana. The official documents stated that these four boa constrictors were caught in the wild in Guyana. One of them, however, was an extremely rare (and extremely valuable), white, leucistic boa constrictor that was found in the wild in Brazil. Brazil does not allow the export of wild caught snakes and, therefore, Brazil would not issue a CITES permit for its export.”.
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Main links about Boitatá Operation and Princess Diamond
Nov, 12 2006 Youtube "Boa constrictor leucística"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE2Dbeb_Jps
“Bcc leucística no zoo de niterói
ball? take a look http://s26.photobucket.com/user/lubricus/media/Pic_9918_16.jpg.html thas a wild caugth Bcc”
Nov, 22 2010 Youtube "Princess Diamod Introduction"
http://youtu.be/VnofvOEwyFw
www.boaconstrictor.com
Jul, 23 2013 Youtube "The Bull that Brings Good Luck"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99AeRgWLCEE
Jeremy Stone on Italy, already on Interpol Red Notice
http://www.interpol.int/notice/search/wanted/2013-18819
Oct, 06 2013 Brazil TV Globo Fantástico "Jiboia rara, que pode custar até US$ 1 milhão, está desaparecida"
http://g1.globo.com/fantastico/noticia/2013/10/jiboia-rara-que-pode-custar-ate-us-1-milhao-esta-desaparecida.html
Oct, 08 2013 Publication of digital book “The story of Boitatá Operation and “Princess Diamond” - The One Million Dollar Snake – Brazil on the International Wildlife Trafficking Route” (free download 2015 June, 08-12)
Nov, 14 2013 Brazil Jornal O Globo: "Governo quer repatriar cobras brasileiras contrabandeadas"
http://oglobo.globo.com/brasil/governo-quer-repatriar-cobras-brasileiras-contrabandeadas-10381876
Jan, 08 2014 USA The United States Attorney's Office "Brother And Sister Charged With Conspiring To Unlawfully Import Rare White Boa Constrictor Into The United States From Brazil"
http://www.justice.gov/usao/ut/news/2014/01-08B.html
Jan, 08j 2014 USA KSL "Brother, sister allegedly smuggled rare boa constrictor into US"
https://ksl.com/?sid=28293702&nid=148
Jan, 09 2014 USA Fox13 “Utah brother and sister busted for allegedly smuggling rare snake”
http://fox13now.com/2014/01/09/utah-brother-and-sister-busted-for-allegedly-smuggling-rare-snake/
May, 07 2014 National Geographic “Brazilian Investigators Cracking the Case of Missing One-of-a-Kind Snake - Search continues for a rare boa constrictor stolen from Brazil to breed for the reptile trade.” (Laurel Neme)
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/05/140507-brazil-leucistic-boa-zoo-wildlife-trafficking-world/
Italy "Il rapimento del boa bianco - il serpente da un milione di dollari"
http://www.nationalgeographic.it/natura/animali/2014/05/08/news/storia_di_diamond_princess_il_primo_pitone_leucistico_conosciuto-2135121/
May, 12 2014 "Justiça Federal de Roraima determina repatriação de filhotes de jiboia rara"
http://www.bvnews.com.br/noticia.php?intNotID=2804
Aug, 18 2014 USA Justice: Environmental Crimes Section – Monthly Bulletin - September 2014
http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/enrd/legacy/2015/04/13/ECS-public_bulletin_FINAL_September_2014.pdf
p.11 “United States v. Jeremy Stone, No. 2:14-CR-0009 (D. Utah), AUSA Jared Bennett. - On August 18, 2014, Jeremy Stone was sentenced to serve 12 months’ home confinement as a condition of a one-year term of probation. Jeremy Stone is the owner of Jeremy Stone Reptiles, which breeds and sells boa constrictors. In January 2009, Stone arranged for the shipment offour boa constrictors from Miami, Florida, to Lindon, Utah. This shipment came from Guyana. The official documents stated that these four boa constrictors were caught in the wild in Guyana. One of them, however, was an extremely rare (and extremely valuable), white, leucisticboa constrictor that was found in the wild in Brazil. Brazil does not allow the export of wildcaught snakes and, therefore, Brazil would not issue a CITES permit for its export.”
Jan, 26 2015 Brazil TV Globo Bom Dia Brasil: "Tráfico de animais silvestres moveu R$ 7 bilhões no Brasil em 10 anos"
http://g1.globo.com/bom-dia-brasil/noticia/2015/01/trafico-de-animais-silvestres-moveu-r-7-bilhoes-no-brasil-em-10-anos.html
May, 14 2015 Brazil DOU seção 2: "Participar do repatriamento de serpentes descendentes do animal traficado do Brasil para os Estados Unidos, em Salt Lake City, Utah, EUA, de 8 a 12 de junho de 2015."
http://pesquisa.in.gov.br/imprensa/jsp/visualiza/index.jsp?data=14/05/2015&jornal=2&pagina=56&totalArquivos=80
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