SW Arkansas Times

Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chairman Paul Gosar addressed a letter to Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Shannon Estenoz and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Director Martha Williams. This correspondence is part of an ongoing inquiry into "Operation Long Tail Liberation," which reportedly squandered taxpayer resources without yielding the desired results despite years of investigation.

"The Committee is concerned with reports of alarming practices undertaken by agents in FWS’ Office of Law Enforcement during this internal investigation. The behaviors of FWS employees and contractors during the FWS’ internal investigation raise serious concerns regarding waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer funds. Worse yet, transcripts found within FWS’ production evidence shocking suspect interrogation techniques, potential Fourth and Fifth Amendment violations, dubious at best legal arguments, and a general approach to criminal investigation and prosecution that falls far short of the United States criminal justice system’s high standards."

The investigation began on June 6, 2024, focusing on the USFWS's "Operation Long Tail Liberation." The operation involved using a paid informant to gather information covertly in Cambodia without notifying the Cambodian Government. This information was intended to support indictments related to illegal macaque importation into the U.S. The informant, who received nearly $225,000 from taxpayer funds, was a Chinese National. After his involvement in Cambodia, he was relocated to the U.S., where he received further assistance from the government.

Committee documents reveal troubling incidents such as a Cambodian government official being detained for hours without access to legal counsel or consular services while being interrogated by USFWS officers.