A Texas man was eliminated for trafficking vulnerable Mexican baby spider monkeys, young and unable to separate from his mother, entered San Diego and sold them on Facebook.
Sarmad Gaaled Dafar, 33, was recently sentenced to four months in custody and a 180-day family ban for trafficking six young primates, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Prosecutors said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents discovered his crime in 2023 when they intercepted three Mexican spider monkeys who were smuggled on the border of Carlesicia by people who worked for him.
Owning primates as pets in California is not only illegal, but especially possessing small spider monkeys. The species is endangered and infants need continuous skilled care to survive.
“This crime ripped off a week-old baby monkey from mothers, destroying fragile ecosystems, endangering fragile species and posing serious public health risks,” we said.
After officials caught three monkeys in August 2023, they searched the smuggler’s phone and found news that he was taking the animals to the border to Fal.
Dafar admitted to coordinating trafficking of spider monkeys in his plea agreement, receiving them in the United States and arranging for sale.
The three confiscated monkeys – monkeys named Chrissy, Jack and Janet – are temporarily isolated at the San Diego Zoo. As part of his verdict, Dafar was ordered to pay more than $23,500 in compensation.
The monkeys have since been permanently housed at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago along with two other baby spider monkeys named Frankee and Bucees, where they were caught in another Southwest border smuggling case.
During the investigation, officials found that Dafar had previously smuggled and sold at least three other Mexican spider monkeys from June 2022 and July 2023.
Their whereabouts are unknown.
Prosecutors said the three monkeys were not quarantined, which is required by law to prevent the spread of deadly diseases such as Ebola, Marburg and MPOX from primates to humans.
“It’s not just an economic crime; it’s serious and lasting for both wildlife and public safety,” Gordon said. “Border security is not only about banning drugs and preventing illegal participation. It also involves protecting the public from dangerous diseases.”
The investigation shows that Dafar intends to traffic small spider monkeys, despite the risk of separating them from his mother, as he believes they are more likely to hide.
When Facebook users sent Dafar news reports about spider monkeys caught by the U.S. Border Patrol, he replied: “He’s stupid.”[g] arrive[o] Many of them and all adults make a lot of noise and are active. According to court documents, the baby is the most sleepy and very small. ”
Prosecutors said Dafar sent messages to potential customers on Facebook and sent photos of baby spider monkeys in diapers and hot lights, both signs that primates were too young to survive alone.
Spider monkeys usually care for them for the first two years, and most people stay close to their mothers until they are 4 years old.
According to testimony from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Agents, their mothers are protective and the entire force will jointly defend the baby in the face of threats. As a result, poachers often kill mothers and troops when trying to capture babies.
Genetic tests by Chrissy, Jack and Janet showed that they all had separate mothers, meaning poachers may have killed many monkeys to capture them.
Prosecutors said Dafar had been ordered to surrender or before May 29.
