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2nd Florida man arrested for breaking into Keys aquarium, killing tarpon in private lagoon

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Published  January 28, 2026 6:01pm EST
Florida
FOX 13 News

The Brief

    • The second of a pair of Florida men accused of going fishing after breaking into an aquarium in the Keys and killing a tarpon has been arrested.
    • Investigators said security video showed the men fishing in the private lagoon, catching an approximately 55-inch tarpon, and taking photos of it while keeping the fish out of the water for approximately five minutes before throwing it back in the basin.
    • Both men were charged with burglary and removing a tarpon greater than 40 inches in length from the water.

MARATHON, Fla. - The second of a pair of Florida men accused of going fishing after breaking into an aquarium in the Keys and killing a tarpon has been arrested.

The backstory:

According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, two men were seen on security video entering the Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters shortly before 3 a.m. on May 25, 2025.

Investigators said the video showed the men fishing in the private lagoon, catching an approximately 55-inch tarpon, and taking photos of it while keeping the fish out of the water for approximately five minutes before throwing it back in the basin.

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Employees found the tarpon dead the next day.

Dig deeper:

The suspects were identified as Derrick Lee Vivian, 25, of Fort Myers, and Christopher Jeffrey Smith, 20, of Marathon.

Smith was arrested on Wednesday, while Vivian was arrested on Nov. 8, 2025.

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Both men were charged with burglary and removing a tarpon greater than 40 inches in length from the water.

The Source: This article was written with information posted on social media by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

FloridaCrime and Public Safety