San Diego, Calif. – A California man was sentenced Friday to prison time and ordered to pay thousands in restitution after federal agents uncovered his role in a cross-border scheme to smuggle endangered Mexican spider monkeys into the United States.
On April 18, a judge sentenced Sarmad Ghaled Dafer to four months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, including 180 days of home confinement. Dafer must also pay $23,502 in restitution to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to cover the cost of quarantining three spider monkeys seized during the investigation. He is jointly responsible for restitution with co-defendant Sarkon Yonan Hanna, who was sentenced in March to time served and two years of supervised release.
The case stemmed from an August 14, 2023, stop at the U.S.–Mexico border, when Customs and Border Protection officers discovered an animal carrier hidden inside a van. Inside were three baby Mexican spider monkeys, each less than two years old. The animals were seized and placed in quarantine at the San Diego Zoo.
According to prosecutors, Dafer coordinated the smuggling operation and sought out baby monkeys to make concealment easier. Investigators recovered Facebook messages and photos showing Dafer’s involvement, including an image of a monkey in a small cage under a heat lamp. Genetic testing revealed the three baby monkeys came from different mothers, evidence that multiple adult spider monkeys were likely killed during their capture.
Federal agents determined Dafer had arranged smuggling attempts on at least three occasions between June 2022 and August 2023. Both Dafer and Hanna pleaded guilty—Dafer to conspiracy and Hanna to smuggling under 18 U.S.C. §§ 371 and 545.
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement.
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Key Points
- Sarmad Ghaled Dafer sentenced to four months in prison, home confinement, and $23,502 restitution.
- Three baby Mexican spider monkeys were seized from a van at the U.S.–Mexico border in August 2023.
- Genetic tests showed the monkeys had different mothers, indicating multiple adults were killed in the poaching process.
A smuggling scheme meant to profit from baby monkeys instead ended in prison time and a steep bill.