According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, wildlife trafficking falls fourth in line for the world's largest organized crime following drug trafficking, counterfeiting, and human trafficking.
Smugglers traffic animals for monetary gain through the sale of the animal, their fur, their horns, or other body parts. The most trafficked animals have traditionally been rhinos, pangolins, and elephants, and an estimated 65,000-78,5000 parrots are illegally sold in Mexico each year.
Gear Junkie reports when four men were caught smuggling high-risk exotic birds out of Puerto Rico, over 100 exotic birds died as a result.
What's happening?
As the U.S. Coast Guard approached a flagless boat just north of Puerto Rico, the four bird traffickers threw wooden cages holding 113 live tropical birds into the ocean. Their failed scheme killed several internationally protected birds like white-crowned parrots, golden-capped parakeets, and green-cheeked conures.
The bird smugglers did not have the proper licensing to export animals, nor did they declare the export of the birds to customs.
Why is wildlife trafficking important?
Wildlife trafficking is a threat to animal populations globally, altering the ecosystem from which they came and leading to deaths both accidental and intentional. According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, via UNLV, over 100,000 sharks and 20,000 African elephants are killed every year because of illegal animal trade.
When smuggled animals are not killed, they are sometimes released. This can disrupt ecosystems far from home because of their non-native status, which hurts the food supply.
This crime against the environment is also hazardous to people everywhere. When animals are smuggled across country borders, they can introduce infectious diseases and zoonotic pandemics. Zoonotic diseases are illnesses that can be spread from animals to humans.
"The illegal trafficking of wildlife is not just an environmental crime — it is a direct threat to public health, economic stability, and global biodiversity," said Director Roberto Vaquero of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection San Juan Field Operations.
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Definitely 👍 What's being done about illegal animal smuggling?
Three of the four smugglers involved in the attempted bird trafficking and successful drowning received a 12-month and one-day sentence. The other will serve an eight-month prison sentence.
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U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico said, "I commend the excellent collaboration of the prosecutors and our law enforcement partners who remain steadfast in their commitment to protecting our wildlife. Because of their hard work, justice was served."
They violated the Lacey Act, which prohibits the illegal transportation and sale of any wildlife creature, including plants. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora is an international agreement between governments to protect endangered or threatened species from international trade.
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