Boater hunted and killed 14 alligators at night in Florida river, officials say
A man is facing several felonies after wildlife officials said he illegally hunted and killed at least 14 American alligators while driving his airboat on a Central Florida river.
The alligators were killed at the St. Johns River near the Hatbill Park Boat Ramp in Brevard County, according to an affidavit written by a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer.
Jacob Latreille, 21, of Edgewater, led the illegal hunts, which involved other individuals, according to cellphone footage gathered as evidence, the affidavit says.
Most of the alligators were caught by hand, FWC said in a Sept. 24 news release, adding that they had been hunted between April 19 and May 11.
On Sept. 22, Latreille was arrested on 13 counts of illegal killing of American alligators, court records show. Arrest warrants have been issued for three other men, according to officials.
Latreille’s attorney information was not immediately available.
On April 19, Latreille was driving three people on his boat and giving them instructions on catching alligators in St. Johns River, according to the affidavit.
Seven alligators were caught and “thrown into the front hatch of Latreille’s airboat” that evening, the affidavit says.
A video from Latreille’s phone shows the alligators “on ice in the front hatch of the airboat,” the FWC officer wrote in the affidavit, adding that “Some of these alligators are alive but most appear to be dead.”
Latreille and the other individuals on his boat did not have CITES tags, according to the affidavit. An alligator trapping license, a FWC alligator harvest permit and two CITES tags are needed to legally hunt alligators in Florida.
Latreille was involved in killing a five-foot alligator on April 24, the affidavit says.
Footage from phones belonging to two other people Latreille had been with showed him with the slain reptile, according to the FWC officer.
Then on April 28 and into the morning of April 29, Latreille was seen with five alligators that had been killed on the deck of his airboat during illegal hunts, according to additional video evidence, the affidavit says.
Multiple photos of him and another man posing with the dead alligators were also found, according to the affidavit. The pictures were taken at the other man’s house.
“Protecting Florida’s wildlife isn’t just a job — it’s our passion and culture,” Capt. Peter Gaudion, of FWC’s Northeast Region, said in a statement to McClatchy News on Sept. 25. “Our team showed grit and determination in driving this investigation to the finish, and we held the individuals accountable who thought they could exploit our resources without consequence.”
“Florida’s alligators are a historical part of our heritage, our economy, and our identity as a state,” Gaudion added. “It’s our responsibility to conserve them for future generation.”
The American alligator is Florida’s state reptile, according to FWC. Previously an endangered species in the U.S., the population now thrives in Florida. There are an estimated 1.3 million American alligators living throughout the state.
“American alligators are Florida’s state reptile because they are a symbol of the resilience of our wild lands and the importance of thoughtful wildlife management,” FWC said in an Aug. 28 Facebook post.
This story was originally published September 24, 2025 at 4:01 PM with the headline "Boater hunted and killed 14 alligators at night in Florida river, officials say."
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