Wildlife trafficking: At least 118 eagles killed [Video]

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 U.S. 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.

Prosecutors say the Cusick, Wash., man made between US$180,000 and US$360,000 over 13 years selling bald and golden eagle parts illegally.

“It was not uncommon for Branson to take upwards of nine eagles at a time,” prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Montana wrote in a Tuesday court filing. “Not only did Branson kill eagles, but he hacked them into pieces to sell for future profits.”

Eagle wings, tails, feathers and other parts are highly sought after by Native Americans …