Wildlife Trafficking Ring Killed at Least 118 Eagles, Prosecutors Say

The golden eagle feet recovered by law enforcement officers from a Washington state man's vehicle. Courtesy of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana via AP

BILLINGS, Mont.—A man helped kill at least 118 eagles to sell their feathers and body parts on the black market as part of a long-running wildlife trafficking ring in the western United States that authorities allege killed thousands of birds, court filings from prosecutors show.

Travis John Branson is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 18 for his role in the trafficking ring that operated on Montana’s Flathead Indian Reservation and elsewhere.