Overview
- Francisco Javier Ravelo, 36, of Coral Gables, Florida, pleaded guilty on March 2 to distributing videos depicting the mutilation, burning, and sexual torture of adult and baby monkeys.
- Court documents say he created and administered online chat groups dedicated to such content and personally shared more than 40 obscene animal-crush videos.
- He was charged under the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act, enacted in 2019, and faces a statutory maximum sentence of seven years in federal prison.
- Homeland Security Investigations led the probe with assistance from HSI New Orleans and Pensacola, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
- Officials described the conduct as deeply disturbing, with the U.S. Attorney calling deliberate animal cruelty a clear red flag for escalating violence and DOJ leadership warning that such cases will be prosecuted.