(NEW YORK) -- A Texas man could serve jail time after pleading guilty to shooting a bald eagle at his home in 2024, which is a violation of federal law.
Santos Guerrero, 42, has pleaded guilty to shooting and causing the death of a protected species. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 30, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas.
While bald eagles are no longer an endangered species, they are still protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, which prohibits the killing of eagles, according to prosecutors.
Investigators responded to a report of the incident and reviewed video footage of the eagle being shot and falling from a tree, according to prosecutors.
Investigators then matched the tree seen in the video to a tree in Guerrero's residence. The eagle was found alive and transported to an animal hospital, but had to be euthanized due to its injuries, according to prosecutors.
The bullet caused significant damage to the eagle's wing and the impact from the fall caused liver fractures, internal bleeding and fractured a leg, a necropsy determined.
Guerrero faces up to a year in federal prison and a fine of up to $100,000.