CORAL GABLES, Fla. \u2014 A 36-year-old Coral Gables man was awaiting sentencing in a federal animal cruelty case that included videos showing the sexual torture of baby monkeys, records show. <\/p>\n
Homeland Security Investigations special agents caught Francisco Ravelo, a Telegram user known as \u201cTony [Expletive] Montana,\u201d for violations of the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act<\/a>. <\/p>\n After Ravelo pleaded guilty to a violation of the act\u2019s animal crushing statute on Monday<\/a> in Miami, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson praised Trump for signing the bill into law in 2019. <\/p>\n \u201cIf you are involved in this sadistic activity, we will prosecute you,\u201d Gustafson said in a statement<\/a> about Ravelo\u2019s case. <\/p>\n U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Qui\u00f1ones for the Southern District of Florida described Ravelo\u2019s case as deeply disturbing. <\/p>\n \u201cDeliberate cruelty to animals is one of the clearest red flags. It reflects a willingness to dominate, torture, and inflict suffering without remorse. The defendant didn\u2019t merely view this material. He created and administered online groups devoted to it and distributed dozens of obscene animal torture videos,\u201d Reding Qui\u00f1ones said in a statement<\/a>. <\/p>\n In the videos, animals were \u201cpurposely crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury,\u201d according to federal prosecutors, records show.<\/p>\n \u201cOur team worked diligently to ensure Ravelo was held accountable for his egregious crimes and to prevent further harm,\u201d HSI Special Agent in Charge Matt Wright said in a statement<\/a>. <\/p>\n