SW Arkansas Times

The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations convened today to examine the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (USFWS) investigation into the exportation of wild-caught macaques to the United States. Subcommittee Chairman Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) commented on the matter, stating:

“A troubling report detailing a five-year investigation by the Fish and Wildlife Service provides more questions than answers concerning the undue influence by extreme animal rights activists and the related government corruption.”

The USFWS initiated a multi-year inquiry in 2017 in Cambodia, named “Operation Long Tail Liberation.” This operation investigated allegations that wild-caught long-tailed macaques were being falsely labeled as captive-bred for export to the U.S. Despite spanning over five years, this investigation did not result in any charges or convictions against U.S. individuals or entities.

During Operation Long Tail Liberation, USFWS paid a Chinese national $225,000 from taxpayer funds to covertly gather information in Cambodia without informing Cambodian authorities. The agency also assisted this informant and his family with housing, transportation to the U.S., visa acquisition, and job placement services. The operation was conducted without local law enforcement notification and violated proper procedural conduct on foreign soil.

Long-tailed macaques are extensively traded for medical testing and research purposes. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a surge in demand for these primates due to their use in vaccine research, leading to a global shortage. This scarcity has been exacerbated by importation permit restrictions controlled by USFWS.

The current shortage of long-tailed macaques poses a risk to medical research in the U.S., potentially benefiting China as it seeks to advance its medical research capabilities. Reports indicate that U.S. infrastructure supporting nonhuman primate biomedical research is deficient, primarily due to an unstable supply chain further strained by competition from China. Notably, China banned exports of nonhuman primates for research purposes since 2020.

Today's hearing provided an opportunity for members to question USFWS officials about this unauthorized investigation and hold the Biden-Harris administration accountable for their agency’s actions.

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