From Fox News: A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) investigation in Florida busted a “deeply disturbing” illegal animal cruelty operation involving baby monkeys by U.S. citizen Francisco Javier Ravelo.
According to the Justice Department, Ravelo, 36, pleaded guilty in federal court to distributing videos depicting the torture of both adult and baby monkeys that involved mutilation and burning. The DOJ said Ravelo personally distributed more than 40 torture videos and that his actions violated the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump during his first term.
Ravelo now faces up to seven years in prison.
The DOJ said the animal cruelty scheme was exposed in an investigation by ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which is the primary criminal investigations arm of the Department of Homeland Security.
The Justice Department announced the sickening case in a press release on Monday, March 2.
“In his first term, President Donald J. Trump signed the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act into law to end animal crushing,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “If you are involved in this sadistic activity, we will prosecute you.”
“This case is deeply disturbing,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “As a former state court trial judge who presided over domestic violence cases, I was trained to recognize lethality factors, warning signs that violence is escalating. Deliberate cruelty to animals is one of the clearest red flags. It reflects a willingness to dominate, torture, and inflict suffering without remorse. The defendant didn’t merely view this material. He created and administered online groups devoted to it and distributed dozens of obscene animal torture videos. That conduct fuels a market built on brutality. Animal crushing is a serious federal crime. In the Southern District of Florida, we will enforce that law firmly and without hesitation.”
ICE INVESTIGATION LEADS TO GUILTY PLEA IN MONKEY SEXUAL TORTURE CASE
Francisco Javier Ravelo, a U.S. citizen from Coral Gables, FL, pleaded guilty March 2 to distributing videos showing adult and baby monkeys being sexually tortured and physically mutilated following an ICE… pic.twitter.com/ntWdC8aFot
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) March 17, 2026
“Our team worked diligently to ensure Ravelo was held accountable for his egregious crimes and to prevent further harm,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Wright of HSI.https://t.co/g2voPwuLEW
— HSI New Orleans (@HSINewOrleans) March 3, 2026
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