Since the beginning of 2024 fiscal year (October 1, 2023) to date, U.S. Customs and Border Protection CBP officers and agriculture specialists assigned to the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) International Mail Facility (IMF) in coordination with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) officials detained 4,227 animal and plant products for violating wildlife laws and regulations and international endangered species conventions.
Among the detained products, crocodile skulls, jerky, belts, wallets, taxidermy baby crocodiles, turtle skulls, skins, kangaroo meat, tails, ears, elephant toenails, exotic butterflies, peacock feathers, seashells, coral, sea cucumbers, shark cartilages, sand sea lion oil gel caps.
The seized products arrived in individual packages via air mail from Singapore, Vietnam, Australia, China, Thailand, U.K., Mexico, and Peru. The contraband packages were heading to addresses all over the United States.
“CBP agriculture specialists are the frontline in the fight against the global trafficking of protected wildlife and plant species,” said Cheryl M. Davies, CBP Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles. “Every single day, they bring their natural sciences knowledge, expertise and unique skills to identify, intercept and seized suspected shipments.”
“The USFWS Office of Law Enforcement’s Wildlife Inspection Program meticulously inspects shipments of known and suspected wildlife to facilitate its legal trade and interdict illegal shipments of wildlife before they enter or leave the country,” said Edward Grace, Assistant Director of the USFWS Office of Law Enforcement. “Their diligent work safeguards protected species of wildlife and upholds laws and regulations protecting against the unlawful exploitation of nature’s valuable resources.”
