3 men charged with cruelty in shark dragging

Three men were charged with felony animal cruelty Tuesday in the dragging of a shark behind a high-speed boat, an incident captured on videos that led to worldwide condemnation.

Charged were Michael Wenzel , 21, of Palmetto; Robert Lee Benac, 28, of Bradenton; and Spencer Heintz, 23, of Palmetto.

In the videos, taken off the Gulf coast, the live shark is dragged at high speed in the boat’s frothy wake, as the men on the boat laugh and joke.

“During both videos, all occupants can be seen and heard laughing while the shark is being dragged across the top of the water at high speed,” states a report by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which conducted the investigation. “At the end of [the] recording Wenzel states, ‘I think it’s dead.’”

The video went viral, generating outrage and calls for investigations from around the world.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s investigation took four months and involved reviews of social media accounts, numerous interviews and consultation with shark experts. The shark experts said it was likely the shark was alive through most of its ordeal. The commission worked with the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office.

“As we’ve said since this video and other images came to light, these actions have no place in Florida, where we treasure and conserve our natural resources for everyone,” said Bo Rivard, chairman of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conserva-