Man Accused of Poaching Turtles in Florida, Trafficking to Asia Pet Trade

Man accused of poaching turtles in Florida, trafficking to Asia pet trade

A man now in federal custody is accused of poaching and selling close to 1,800 protected turtles, taken from their natural habitats in Florida.

Nearly 2,000 turtles poached from Florida wildlife, trafficked overseas, officials say

The investigation, dubbed Operation Souther Hot Herps, spanned from early 2022 to late 2023 where officials said 1,700 loggerhead musk turtles, 100 striped-neck musk turtles and 15 striped mud turtles were taken from their habitat and sold overseas.

California man facing federal charges in international turtle trafficking plot

Federal authorities charged a Daly City man in an international trafficking plot to smuggle nearly 300 poached loggerhead musk turtles from Florida to Taiwan.

Turtle trafficking bust: Daly City man accused of smuggling musk turtles across state lines

A Daly City man was arrested this week after getting caught up in a national multi-agency law enforcement operation aimed at busting illegal turtle traffickers. Donald Do is accused of conspiracy and federal Lacey Act crimes against wild loggerhead musk turtles, according to U.S. Department of Justice officials. The much-prized and adorable aquatic reptiles can be legally bought and sold in some states as long as they are bred in captivity. Do a…