A man tried to smuggle Gulf Coast box turtles from the United States to China. However, federal authorities thwarted the attempt.
what happened?
U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service intercepted hundreds of closed-shell turtles during a border inspection in New York when they found the animals stuffed in socks, placed in boxes and labeled as plastic toys.
According to WOFL, officials discovered approximately 220 boxes containing 850 turtles en route to Hong Kong. The turtles have an estimated market value of approximately $1.4 million.
Authorities arrested the man for the attempted smuggling, and he pleaded guilty to the charges in U.S. District Court in August.
Why is animal trafficking a concern?
Sealed turtles are very popular in the pet market, especially in Hong Kong and mainland China. The illegal trafficking of animals for reasons such as the pet market is a multi-billion dollar industry, making some people feel the risk of trafficking is worth it.
In fact, this isn’t the first time a New York resident has tried to traffic in box turtles. A 26-year-old man from Brooklyn smuggled Eastern box turtles and three-toed box turtles into China between 2019 and 2020. Authorities charged him with two counts of smuggling goods and one count of violating the Lacey Act, resulting in a sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
Trafficking is a dangerous thing for animals as many animals are injured or killed during the trafficking process, which leads to a decrease in wildlife populations. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists many turtle species as declining, so the more turtles that are trafficked, the worse off they are.
Additionally, when wildlife is trafficked from one country to another, it becomes an invasive species. Invasive species can cause serious problems, from introducing new diseases to reducing food security for other wildlife and humans.
What are the rescued sea turtles doing?
Authorities sent the turtles to rehabilitation centers, and the Brevard Zoo in Florida took in nine of them. Wildlife experts expect the turtles to stay for several months before being released back into the wild.
A visitor to the Brevard Zoo told Fox 35 Orlando: “I don’t feel good about smuggling anything because I hear a lot of animals are being smuggled. It doesn’t do them any good. They’re just trying to make money.”
As for the smuggler, the Huffington Post reports that the court will sentence the man on Tuesday and he faces up to five years in prison.
Get TCD’s free newsletter for simple tips to save more, reduce waste and make smarter choices, and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD’s exclusive Rewards Club.