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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Ramon Antonio Vargas

Teenager pleads guilty to attacking California sea lion in viral video

Sea lions on the shore.
Sea lions along the La Jolla, California, shoreline on 17 July 2025. Photograph: NurPhoto/Getty Images

An 18-year-old California man has admitted he kicked a sea lion in a video that went viral recently – while referring to himself by the name of an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) competitor – and has pleaded guilty to a federal crime.

Tyler Muehl, of San Diego’s La Jolla neighborhood, faces up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine after acknowledging in court on Thursday that he violated the Marine Mammal Protection Act’s prohibition on harassment of wildlife, federal prosecutors said in a statement.

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