Francisco Javier Ravelo, a 36-year-old resident of Coral Gables, has pleaded guilty to distributing videos that depict the torture of monkeys. The plea was entered in federal court and relates to violations of the Animal Crushing statute. Ravelo was initially charged in October 2025.
Court documents reveal that Ravelo created and managed online chat groups where sexual and violent videos showing the mutilation and burning of both baby and adult monkeys were shared. He personally distributed more than 40 such videos.
“In his first term, President Donald J. Trump signed the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act into law to end animal crushing,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “If you are involved in this sadistic activity, we will prosecute you.”
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida commented on the case: “This case is deeply disturbing. As a former state court trial judge who presided over domestic violence cases, I was trained to recognize lethality factors, warning signs that violence is escalating. Deliberate 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’t merely view this material. He created and administered online groups devoted to it and distributed dozens of obscene animal torture videos. That conduct fuels a market built on brutality. Animal crushing is a serious federal crime. In the Southern District of Florida, we will enforce that law firmly and without hesitation.”
Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Wright of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) stated: “Our team worked diligently to ensure Ravelo was held accountable for his egregious crimes and to prevent further harm. We are grateful for the collaboration that brought this case to resolution and Ravelo to justice.”
The investigation was conducted by HSI, with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke E. Latta for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Emily R. Stone from ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section.
Additional information about this case can be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under Case No. 25-cr-20477.
