Gang charged up to $50,000 for each jaguar illegally hunted in the Amazon

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While the name Jorge Néstor Noya is barely known in Bolivia or Brazil, it is notorious in his homeland of Argentina, where he is accused of masterminding the country’s biggest case of wildlife trafficking.

Noya is the owner of Caza & Safaris Argentina (Argentina Hunt and Safaris), which offers package holidays for the illegal hunting of wild animals in various parts of Argentina. Noya has organized at least thirty such hunting expeditions since 1980, including taking his clients jaguar hunting in Bolivia.

He is currently facing charges in Argentina following an international investigation, after his ‘business interests’ expanded into Paraguay, Brazil and a number of African countries.

Scheme provides weapons and vehicles, and teaches hunting techniques

Jorge Néstor Noya is currently under house arrest in Buenos Aires, accused of the crimes of criminal conspiracy, the illegal supply of firearms, cruelty to animals and the illegal hunting of wildlife. And there are six other defendants in the trial, two of whom are accused of leading the criminal gang, which may have committed even more crimes.

The case is being handled by the First Federal Prosecutor’s Office in the Argentinian city of Lomas de Zamora, with the participation of the same city’s Second Federal Prosecutor’s Office.

During investigations, 12 searches were carried out in the provinces of Buenos Aires and Santiago del Estero, in which thirty-seven motor vehicles were seized, twelve of which were described as luxury cars.

Jorge Néstor Noya (on the left), next to a client, displaying two jaguar bodies. The photo shows a young Noya, which confirms that he has been killing and encouraging the hunting of jaguars since the 1980s. Photo: Revista Nómadas.

A valuable property on Argentina’s Atlantic coast belonging to one of the gang leaders was also seized, while three areas where illegal hunting took place were also investigated.

In addition, at least 44 firearms, given to clients during illegal hunts, were apprehended. The weapons were also allegedly used to teach hunting techniques to those who took part in the expeditions.

According to the investigation, Noya’s clients were given firearms despite not possessing hunting licenses or permission to use them in Argentina, crimes that carry penalties of up to 15 years in prison in the country.

Taxidermy and photos: souvenirs of illegal hunting

Nor were the expeditions restricted to the hunters’ memories.

In every investigation carried out by the Argentine justice system, examples of taxidermy were seized — 7,951 of them to date. All featured the stuffed remains of animals, which had undergone dissection before being preserved to give them the appearance of living creatures.

The ‘collection’ included jaguars hunted in eastern Bolivia, and other species native to Argentina, the hunting of which is illegal. According to investigators, the taxidermy was carried out in illegal workshops in Argentina and the ‘trophies’ were then sent to the overseas clients.

According to the prosecution, Jorge Néstor Noya led more than 30 hunting trips to eastern Bolivia. All the income from such activities were illegal.

Noya met his clients, most of them American or Spanish citizens, in Argentina. From there, he took them to the Brazilian city of Cáceres, near the border with Bolivia. From Cáceres, he and the hunters flew in small aircraft to various locations in eastern Bolivia, where they searched for jaguars to kill in cold blood and turn into trophies, displaying an utter lack of pity or mercy.

There are deeply shocking and cruel photographs in which Jorge Néstor Noya poses proudly with his clients — also looking pleased with themselves — next to the animals that were unable to escape the gang. Dead jaguars hang from trees while the hunters stand next to them, smiling shamelessly and brazenly.

Jorge Néstor Noya, along with Spanish businessman Nicolás Franco Pascual de Pobil, displaying an animal hunted in Argentine territory. Photo: Revista Nómadas.

The Argentine investigators tapped the phones of the accused, including Noya’s. In one call, those responsible for organizing the expedition speak to a Panamanian client who wants to hunt an ‘insect that eats horses’, a term referring to the jaguar.

Though the investigation does not reveal precise dates, this hunt is thought to have taken place in July 2024. The Panamanian — fortunately — never managed to hunt a jaguar on his trip through Argentina, and did not fulfill his ‘dream’ of having a trophy of the species. However, as he was unable to achieve his goal on Argentine soil, Noya invited him to hunt in Bolivia at no additional cost.

In order for the hunt in Bolivia to be productive, Noya took a flight from Argentina to Brazil and, from there, a small plane to Bolivia. The air crossing itself, which was never registered with either Brazil or Bolivia, was also illegal.

Noya informed his client that the hunt would take place in eastern Bolivia. It is known that he and his Panamanian client arrived at their destination, but not whether the hunters managed to get their ‘trophy’ on this occasion.

An Argentine source who preferred to remain anonymous explained the background to the crimes committed by Jorge Noya and his accomplices, which he says started in the 1980s.

‘Such criminal acts are often justified by the claim that they generate jobs and promote tourism. However, in this case, we found that foreigners came to Argentina to illegally hunt our wild species, plunder our wildlife and then return to their countries with their ‘trophies’. They did not travel through Argentina, and their money remained solely within the illegal activities of this organization, which, in the end, appeared to be the only entity that benefited from their stay in Argentina.’

This accusation is vital to make people aware that illegal hunting does not bring economic progress, but only irrevocably harms the fauna and ecosystems of countries in the region.

‘With these illegal hunts, it is not only the ecological balance that is affected, but all of us, and the future generations.’

The price of a jaguar: up to US$50,000

Jorge Néstor Noya’s business offered accommodation in beautiful parts of Argentina and advertised different types of hunting. His clients paid a fortune for each ‘trophy’: the rarer, harder to find or scarcer the animal to be hunted, the better and more valuable it was on the illegal market.

For such a group, hunting a jaguar could cost up to US$50,000.

Noya’s clients are well-known figures in their countries. One is Eduardo Romero Nieto, a prominent Spanish doctor who even owns a ‘Wildlife Museum’ in Spain where he displays his ‘trophies of dead animals’.

‘From the beginning, I have wanted to exhibit both my collection of naturalized animals and the objects and works of art related to nature that I’ve acquired over time, so that society could enjoy and share this true love of nature with me,’ says Romero Nieto — ironically — in the introduction to his museum on his website.

The Spanish doctor Eduardo Romero Nieto in his museum, where he keeps the “trophies” acquired throughout his long career in hunting wild animals. Photo: Internet.

For Nieto, his love of nature appears able to turn a blind eye to the cold-blooded murder of animals, and has no problem with exhibiting them in glass domes. The hunter ends his speech with an outrageous message:

‘The smiles of the adults and the shouts of surprise of the children who visit this Wildlife Museum are for me the greatest reward, and the undeniable proof that the work carried out was worth it.’

Case currently in the hands of the Public Prosecutor

In Bolivia, the charges of illegal jaguar hunting are now in the hands of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, thanks to activist Lisa Corti, a representative of the Llanto del Jaguar Collective, park ranger Marcos Uzquiano and environmental lawyer Rodrigo Herrera.

After Corti and Uzquiano filed the lawsuit, the park ranger, president of the Bolivian Park Rangers Association, was dismissed from his position by the director of Bolivia’s National Service for Protected Areas, Johnson Jiménez. After a national outcry, Uzquiano was reinstated as head of environmental protection of the Beni Biological Station Biosphere Reserve.

Uzquiano told the press that Jorge Néstor Noya, together with Spanish hunter Luis Villalba Ruiz, entered the San Matías Integrated Management Natural Area to hunt jaguars in September 2023. According to the charges brought by Uzquiano, Villalba was the perpetrator of the crime, and killed five jaguars living in the territory.

‘It was learned that through Caza & Safaris Argentina hunting club, Mr. Jorge Néstor Noya, during the 2023 administration, promoted and executed actions related to the illegal hunting of jaguars in the San Matías protected area, in the department of Santa Cruz. Mr. Luis Villalba Ruiz was one of the perpetrators of the reported crime, as a hunter and committer of biocide, the death (biocide) of at least five individuals of this species having been confirmed,’ says part of the charges Uzquiano filed with the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Drug Trafficking, Environment, Loss of Domain, Financing of Terrorism and Laundering of Illicit Profits in the department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

Luis Villalba Ruiz (on the right) is a Spanish businessman known as one of the most ruthless bow hunters in Europe. He is accused of killing five jaguars in Bolivia. The photo, according to investigations and reports, is believed to have been taken at the AMNI San Matías. Photo: Revista Nómadas.

Uzquiano says that he learned of the existence of the criminal hunting network at a meeting of environmental protection groups in Bahia, Brazil. There, information was provided about an operation by the Argentine Federal Police, through the Department of Environmental Crimes, to dismantle the network that recruited hunters in Europe and the United States through the Caza & Safaris Argentina website, which promoted ‘hunting trips’ in exchange for large sums of money.

Uzquiano, who was notified of his dismissal as head of protection of the Beni Biological Station Biosphere Reserve on December 31, 2024, just a few days after filing charges against Jorge Néstor Noya and his gang of hunters, explains that the Bolivian territory where the jaguar hunting took place was identified ‘through photographs and the use of wiretaps.’

‘This organisation, which promotes hunting and safaris in Argentina, entered Bolivian territory with this hunter (Luis Villalba). There are photographs of dead jaguars, which this man hunted in Santa Cruz. The group has a long history in Argentina, dating back to when they began operating. There are wiretaps that identify the area where the jaguar hunting took place,’ said Uzquiano.

Luis Villalba Ruiz prides himself on being the best crossbow hunter in Spain. He is a Catalan businessman and, in an article published by the Spanish media outlet Antena 3, boasts of having killed — he claims — the five most dangerous animals in the world: the lion, the jaguar, the rhinoceros, the buffalo and the elephant.

‘You may act like a predator, but you fought and worked for it. It is like your work is the death of the animal. The hunter loves animals, even if it seems like a paradox,’ Villalba told this media outlet in October 2020. The same Villalba who — according to the investigations —came to Bolivia to kill five jaguars.

In Bolivia, federal deputy María René Álvarez filed charges with the Public Prosecutor’s Office against those allegedly responsible for the biocide of jaguars in the San Matías Integrated Natural Management Area.

Álvarez explained that the charges identify two people as the alleged perpetrators of the crimes of biocide and destruction or deterioration of state property and national resources.

‘The accused’s conduct is unlawful as it violates explicit rules designed to protect biodiversity and the environment. Furthermore, there are no justifications that legitimize the hunting of jaguars in protected areas, since these actions do not respond to subsistence needs, but to economic and recreational interests that are contrary to legal provisions.’

The Red Circle and its North American and European Clients

Dolores is a small town located in the north of Buenos Aires province, Argentina, where one of Jorge Néstor Noya’s agency’s hunting areas is located. It is also where, in August 2024, an operation was carried out to bring an end to the mafia’s activities.

The luxury home that was seized contained hunting photos, animal heads and skulls of protected species, while in the bar area the most exotic ‘trophies’ were found, including, most noticeably, a table made from stuffed elephant legs. The building was the front for the business that profited from the death of wildlife.

Emiliano Villegas, operational coordinator of the Wildlife Area of ​​the Environmental Control Brigade, a unit of specialized agents in Argentina’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, explains that the war against illegal hunting involves tackling the ‘Red Circle’, a group of businessmen notable for the power of influence they wield in their countries.

‘The elite businessmen who make up this circle usually act in the shadows, often indirectly. Their lobbying power is so great that, through news stories they generate themselves, they try to instill in public opinion the false perception that hunting generates employment and wealth, when, in reality, the profits obtained from this activity benefit some, to the detriment of many.’

One of Jorge Noya’s warehouses raided during operations in Morón, Argentina. The site reveals the remains of protected species. Photo: Revista Nómadas.

Emiliano Villegas points out that this scheme was a way of giving the ‘trophies’ social status in their environments, so that the more endangered the species to be hunted, the more value it will have for the hunters.

These members of the ‘Red Circle’, according to Villegas, generally come from North America, Europe and other major economic powers.

Brazilian NGO first to bring charges against the gang

The investigation was initiated by charges filed by the Freeland Brasil NGO, which filed lawsuits against Noya’s gang in Brazil and Argentina.

‘Freeland’s charges were the most important, as they provided the names of clients identified through a facial recognition program,’ said Villegas.

An expert based in Bolivia explained there is no census of jaguars in the country and that the numbers of this species of feline, which lives mainly in areas of the Amazon, are only estimates.

Counting, he said, was carried out using camera traps placed in different areas. According to the expert, there are seven jaguars per 100 kilometers in the Bolivian Pantanal, the same number in the Amazon and five per 100 kilometers in the Chaco, a swampy biome found in abundance in the country.

The expert explained that a 2018 publication reported that 12,485 jaguars were counted in the three Bolivian biomes, and said that while the number may vary, he estimates it is unlikely to exceed 13,000 individuals.

Regarding the number of jaguars killed in each of Noya’s incursions, the expert describes this information as alarming, considering that five rare felines are lost with each hunt.

On the Caza & Safaris Argentina website, Noya describes himself as an experienced hunter and veterinarian who has offered this type of service since 1979.

Furthermore, every year he has taken part in conventions organized by the American Association Safari Club International in the United States, and in Expo Cinegética, an annual hunting convention in Spain.

There, Noya was tasked with attracting potential clients in these countries, by promoting hunting excursions that offer a wide variety of species in their habitats.

Jorge Néstor Noya offered his potential clients — in Spanish and English — lodging, meals, drinks, hunting guides, weapons, and transportation from Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires to the different hunting territories in Dolores and Santiago del Estero, Argentina. In addition, he also offered hunting packages in Bolivia and Paraguay, as well as ‘adventures’ in certain African countries.

In addition to hunting, Noya’s organization also offered a service that would send ‘hunting trophies’, such as skulls and other stuffed animal parts, overseas. To do this, according to the federal court of Lomas de Zamora, Noya and the other members of the organization turned to Federico Manuel Testa, owner of Logistic Solution SRL.

Further crimes following the jaguar hunts

How did Noya and his accomplices manage to get dead animals past airport security?

It is known that, once the species were hunted, they were treated in clandestine taxidermy workshops, and that the trophies were then sent to the homes of foreign hunters, but investigators have not yet managed to discover how the shipments were made without arousing the suspicions of the authorities.

Animals that lived happily in their territories were killed by Jorge Noya’s greed. The bodies were found at the home of one of the detainees. Photo: Revista Nómadas.

In addition to Noya, Carlos Pablo Escontrela, a partner at Los Moros S.A law firm, was also part of the scheme. According to the investigation, the main focus of the company, established in Santiago del Estero, Argentina, is hunting activities, and it serves as a legal front for the services the organization offered in the region, since the territories in which the hunting was carried out were not authorized by Bolivian law.

In Argentina, the case has progressed through a number of different charges and a painstaking investigation. Jorge Néstor Noya is under house arrest, and his criminal network has been dismantled.

In Bolivia, the legal process initiated by Marcos Uzquiano, as president of the Bolivian Park Rangers Association, has advanced only slowly, and neither the National Service for Protected Areas nor the Bolivian Ministry of Environment and Waters responded to requests for comment.

But one thing is certain: while the case makes its way slowly through legal chambers, the jaguars of the Amazon remain in danger.

An advertisement found in Spain promoting the hunting of animals in the forests of Bolivia. Photo: Revista Nómadas.

This text was originally published in Spanish by Revista Nómadas. Read the original version here.

Text: Iván Paredes Tamoyo
Translation: James Young
Page Layout: Alice Palmeira
Editor-in-Chief: Glauce Monteiro
Editorial Director: Marcos Colón