Snapchat videos led to the discovery of a group of Florida men who authorities say illegally captured, at least 14 alligators, skinning and killing many of them, with one man telling investigators he shot one animal with a Glock and made dinner with some of the meat.
Other videos found in the investigation show five dead alligators on the deck of an airboat, and two of the men standing over them, pistols in their hands, according to a just-released report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Jacob William Latreille, 21, of Mims, and several others illegally captured seven alligators on April 19, some by hand, snatching them from the front of a moving airboat, before killing most of them, FWC announced this week.
The agency said members of the group illegally took and killed at least seven more alligators between April 24 and May 11.
Latreille was arrested Monday on 13 charges of the illegal killing, possessing, or capturing of American alligators, his arrest warrant shows. The warrant lists the charges as 3rd-degree felonies. The FWC says arrest warrants have also been issued for three men from Titusville who will face similar charges: Luke David Michael Landry, 25; Robert Gage Martin, 28; and Wyatt Scott Lowe, 24.
Florida rules say alligators can only be hunted, captured or killed by people who have purchased a license, permit and tags from the state, a $272 package that allows the harvesting of two alligators annually. The use of firearms is prohibited, and hunting is only allowed during certain times in August through October. All slain alligators must be immediately tagged. The possession of any alligator hide not tagged is prohibited, according to FWC regulations.
The investigation began after the FWC received a complaint May 22 about Snapchat videos showing Landry “skinning out” an alligator in his garage, with two other dead alligators also visible.
FWC agents then searched Landry’s home and seized knives from his garage which later tested positive for alligator DNA.
When they later searched Landry’s phone, agents found video taken April 24 showing Landry, Lowe and Latreille killing at least one alligator, while videos taken April 28 and April 29 show Landry, Martin and Latreille killing five alligators on an airboat on the St. Johns River, the report shows.
There are also videos from later dates showing Landry and Martin skinning, processing and preparing alligator hides and skulls. Another video shows Landry’s son carrying a live alligator through the front yard of their residence. Landry later said he killed that alligator, according to the report.
Landry admitted to going out on Latreille’s airboat to catch and kill alligators, including one he said he shot with his Glock. He also admitted to skinning three or four of them in his garage with Martin. He said he “‘made dinner’ with some of the meat,” the report says.
In a second interview with FWC agents in July, Landry said some of the alligator hides and meat were placed in his freezer and an unidentified man picked them up. He also said some of the meat was “split up between the individuals involved” and a large quantity of the meat was eaten over a couple of days, the report said.
Brevard deputies had previously found a dump site with alligator carcasses. Landry said he and Lowe dumped alligator carcasses there, according to the report.
FWC agents spoke to Latreille on June 30. He said he and others killed alligators on multiple nights using his green airboat. He admitted to killing one with his father’s Glock, according to the report. The airboat was seized as evidence, the report shows.
When Latreille’s phone was searched, agents found videos recordings taken April 19 showing three other people on his airboat snatching alligators from the water.
The phone also contained videos taken April 29 showing Latreille, Landry, Martin and a woman on the airboat. That video shows off the dead animals on the deck and Latreille and Landry with their guns.
