California Department of Fish and Wildlife officers boarded a commercial airplane back upstate from San Diego. They’d just left a training session and were in their regular clothes. After takeoff, they randomly overheard a couple talking about hunting federally protected species. The officers decided to casually hop into the discussion.
Mid-air, the couple told the plainclothes officers they checked a federally protected sea turtle skull in their luggage
The CDFW officers shared a flight with the Californians back in November 2023. After they casually interjected, the couple shared several tidbits that implicated them and a family member.
First, they said that they were carrying a protected sea turtle skull from the East Coast with them on the plane.
They also “reminisced” about taking a mountain lion. Mountain lions are a protected species in California. Hunting or possessing the animals in whole or in part is totally illegal…