U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers recently intercepted illegal importations of sea turtle shells and dead king cobra snakes.
The shipments containing these protected and endangered wildlife products were turned over to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Federal officers discovered two separate shipments containing a total of 631 sea turtle scutes, which are part of a turtle’s shell. Smugglers had sanded the scutes clean of barnacles and covered them with a white, water-soluble paint in an attempt to disguise their identity.
“Our CBP officers and agriculture specialists partner with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to enforce federal wildlife laws that protect vulnerable species, such as Hawksbill sea turtles,” said Customs and Border Protection Cincinnati Port Director Richard Gillespie.
He said the inter-office cooperation is “critical” to combat illegal wildlife trafficking.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife inspectors estimate that the scutes were the remains of at least 29 large, mature sea turtles between 60 to 75 years old.
Officials estimates it will take decades for Hawksbill turtles to recover from the loss of this many of its population. Hawksbill sea turtles are critically endangered. They are listed as such in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Flora and Fauna, which prohibits trade for species threatened with extinction, and the Endangered Species Act in the United States.
In a separate shipment, three King Cobras were found wrapped in socks and concealed within baskets. Federal officials believe it was an attempt to evade detection.
The snakes, which were dead upon arrival into the United States, were suspected to be shipped while still alive for breeding purposes, perishing in transit.
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