Rod Coronado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rod Coronado
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Coronado, 2014
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Rodney Adam Coronado
July 3, 1966 |
| Known for | Animal rights, environmental activism, arson |
Rodney Adam Coronado (born July 3, 1966) is a Native American animal rights and environmental activist. He is known for his strong actions in the late 1980s and 1990s.
As part of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, he helped sink two whaling ships in 1986. He also damaged Iceland's only whale-processing factory. He led the Animal Liberation Front's "Operation Bite Back" campaign. This campaign worked against the fur industry in the early 1990s. It involved actions that damaged property.
After an event at a Michigan State University mink research center in 1992, Coronado was jailed for almost five years. He later said he was the only person involved. The 1992 federal Animal Enterprise Protection Act was created partly because of his actions. The "Operation Bite Back" campaign later focused on freeing animals. Coronado also worked with Earth First.
His activism continued into the 2000s. He was jailed for eight months in 2004 for interfering with a mountain lion hunt in Arizona. In 2006, he faced charges for talking about how a device worked in a public speech. While in prison, he decided to stop using violent methods. This change was influenced by his time in jail and becoming a father. He served more time for the device charge and a probation violation. Since 2013, Coronado has worked to protect gray wolves in the United States. He started Wolf Patrol, a group that watches how wolves are treated. It also reports illegal wolf hunting.
Early Life and Activism
Rod Coronado was born in 1966. He has Pascua Yaqui Native American heritage and grew up in California. As a child, he loved nature. He was deeply affected by a video of a Canadian commercial seal hunt.
He joined the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society as a teenager. This group takes direct action against whaling. Coronado later joined Earth First!, a group focused on protecting the environment. He also joined the Animal Liberation Front. This underground group released animals from fur farms and research places.
In November 1986, Rod Coronado and David Howitt sank two whaling ships in Reykjavík harbor. They also damaged Iceland's only whale-processing factory. They were members of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. They had spent weeks in Iceland planning their actions. On November 8, they damaged the factory's equipment. They then drove to Reykjavík. There, they boarded two whaling ships and opened their valves to sink them. They caused about $2 million in damage. Coronado and Howitt then left for Luxembourg.
Coronado helped plan and lead the Animal Liberation Front's "Operation Bite Back" campaign. This campaign started in the early 1990s. It targeted the fur industry and its research centers. The first action was in June 1991. It involved a fire at Oregon State University's mink farm. This led to the farm closing. Soon after, another action involved a fire at a mink feed supplier. In August, activists acted against a Washington State University mink farm.
In February 1992, Coronado and two other activists damaged a Michigan State University mink research center with fire. This caused $200,000 in damage. It also destroyed 32 years of research. In 1995, Coronado was sentenced to jail for 57 months. He also had three years of probation and a $2 million fine. Coronado first said he was only a spokesperson for the group. But 25 years later, he admitted he was the only person who caused the damage. The campaign continued while he was in prison. It focused more on freeing animals. The 1992 federal Animal Enterprise Protection Act was created to protect animal-based businesses. This law was largely a response to Coronado's actions. While in prison, Coronado created a magazine called Strong Hearts.
In March 2004, the Arizona Game and Fish Department announced a hunt for mountain lions near Tucson. There were protests against the hunt. On March 24, Coronado was arrested. He had spread lion scent in the park. This was done to stop tracking dogs. The hunt was called off four days later. Coronado and others were charged with trespassing and interfering with an officer. From 2006 to 2007, Coronado served eight months in federal prison.
In February 2006, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested Coronado. This was part of a larger effort against environmental and animal rights activists. Years before, in August 2003, Coronado gave a speech in San Diego. The FBI recorded it. During the speech, he explained how a device worked. A grand jury later charged him with showing how an explosive device worked.
Becoming a father and his time in prison changed Coronado's views. In 2006, while in prison, Coronado wrote an open letter. He said he no longer believed in violence to create social change. He thought about how legal issues and prison had affected his family and young children. This was a big change for Coronado. He was known for his illegal actions and for supporting strong tactics. He had appeared on national television and given speeches. But he wrote that being a parent means you "practice the very principles [you] seek to teach [your] children."
The case about the device ended in a mistrial. He later pleaded guilty. In March 2008, he was sentenced to one year in prison. He was released in 2009. The next year, a judge sent him back to prison for four months. This was because he had become friends with another activist on Facebook. This was against his probation rules.
Since 2013, Coronado has worked to protect gray wolves in the United States. He started Wolf Patrol. This is a non-profit group that watches how wolves are treated. It also reports illegal wolf hunting.
Personal Life
Coronado got married in 2007. He has two children. His son was born in 2001. His wife's daughter was born before they met.
See also
- Earth Liberation Prisoners Support Network
- Deep ecology
