Trump Pardons Florida Shark Divers Convicted of Longline Theft

John Moore Jr. and Tanner Mansell, two South Florida shark divers, were convicted in 2022 of theft for removing sharks and a goliath grouper from what they believed was an illegal fishing longline, but was actually authorized commercial research gear. They rescued 19 sharks and dismantled the longline while leading a shark-diving charter, documenting the event with tourists who thought they were preventing illegal fishing. Prosecutors argued the divers conned the tourists into helping with the removal, while the defense maintained it was an honest mistake. Their convictions led to felony records, restricting their rights, but President Donald Trump granted them full pardons in May 2025, erasing their criminal records and restoring their rights. Defense attorneys and critics called the prosecution an example of government overreach and praised the pardon as a correction of an unjust conviction. The case highlighted tensions between local fishing and shark-diving industries and raised questions about the appropriate use of prosecutorial discretion in such environmental disputes.