Tiger, tiger, feds indict

Jan. 12—Justice may be coming for Duke, a Bengal tiger found a year ago after police followed a trail of blood to an Albuquerque mobile home.

A 40-year-old man was indicted on federal charges that allege he conspired to import the tiger cub to New Mexico with plans to resell the animal, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a written statement.

A federal grand jury indicted David Mendoza-Enriquez for conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act, a federal law that prohibits the transport and sale of certain wildlife.

According to the indictment, "between Nov. 20, 2022, and Jan. 10, 2023, Mendoza-Enriquez conspired with others to import the tiger cub from Mexico into New Mexico and sell it for thousands of dollars," the statement said.

Mendoza-Enriquez also is one of 15 defendants charged with drug trafficking in a separate superseding indictment, it said.

On Jan. 10, 2023, Albuquerque police found the tiger in a dog crate after following a trail of blood from a shooting that injured a man in Southeast Albuquerque.

The tiger, nicknamed Duke, was found in a mobile home near Louisiana and Zuni SE. The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish took custody of the animal.

Duke was transferred to the ABQ BioPark and later to the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, Colorado.