[caption id="attachment_4332" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Kemps Ridley"]
[/caption]DOJ - GHN News --“Individuals
who engage in the smuggling of protected species are unscrupulous law
violators who are motivated solely by profit and status, and clearly
have no respect for our ecosystem.”
With that statement,
Erin Dean underlines the problem of smuggling endangered species into
the United States. Some people may not know that smuggling endangered
species is a federal crime. Two Japanese nationals caught doing this
are learning the consequences of smuggling live endangered animals into
the United States.
Atsushi Yamagami, 39, and
Norihide Ushirozako, 49, both Japanese citizens who are believed to
reside in Osaka, were arrested without incident early Friday morning by
special agents with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They are charged with
bringing
into the United States approximately 55 live turtles and tortoises that
were concealed in snack food boxes discovered in a suitcase.
The smuggling offense
carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, and
one count of violating the Endangered Species Act, a misdemeanor that
carries a statutory maximum penalty of one year in prison.
carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, and
one count of violating the Endangered Species Act, a misdemeanor that
carries a statutory maximum penalty of one year in prison.
At
their initial court appearances this afternoon in United States
District Court, both Yamagami and Ushirozako were ordered detained
without bond. An arraignment in the case has been scheduled for January
31.
their initial court appearances this afternoon in United States
District Court, both Yamagami and Ushirozako were ordered detained
without bond. An arraignment in the case has been scheduled for January
31.
The
case against Yamagami and Ushirozako is the result of an undercover
investigation that started one year ago by U.S. Fish and Wildlife
agents.
case against Yamagami and Ushirozako is the result of an undercover
investigation that started one year ago by U.S. Fish and Wildlife
agents.
Erin L. Dean, Resident Agent in Charge of the Fish and Wildlife
Service’s Office of Law Enforcement went on to say this about the
smuggling of endangered species, “Individuals who participate in the
illegal take and trade of protected animals are irreparably harming
natural populations and, sadly, contributing to the decline of many
types of fragile and delicate species worldwide. The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service will diligently pursue those individuals who profit
from their involvement in the illegal wildlife trade.”
