A man tried to smuggle Gulf Coast box turtles from the United States to China. However, federal authorities thwarted the attempt. 

What happened?

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection as well as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife departments intercepted hundreds of box turtles at a border inspection in New York when they found the animals stuffed inside socks, placed inside boxes, and labeled as plastic toys. 

According to WOFL, officials discovered about 220 boxes containing 850 turtles that were en route to Hong Kong. The estimated market value for these turtles is approximately $1.4 million. 

Authorities arrested the man responsible for the smuggling attempt, and he pleaded guilty to the charges in U.S. District Court in August.

Why is animal smuggling concerning?

Box turtles are incredibly popular on the pet market, especially in Hong Kong and China. The illegal trafficking of animals for the pet market and other reasons is a billion-dollar industry, which makes some people feel the risk of trafficking is worth it. 

In fact, this isn't the first time a New York resident has tried to traffic box turtles. A 26-year-old man from Brooklyn smuggled eastern box turtles and three-toed box turtles to China between 2019 and 2020. Authorities charged him with two counts of smuggling goods and one count of violating the Lacey Act, leading him to face up to 30 years in prison.

Trafficking is a dangerous business for animals, as many are injured or killed during trafficking attempts, which contributes to the depletion of wildlife populations. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists many box turtle species as having decreasing populations, so the more that are trafficked, the worse off they'll be. 

Additionally, when wildlife is trafficked from one country to another, it becomes an invasive species. Invasive species can pose significant problems, from introducing new diseases to reducing food security for other wildlife and people. 

What's being done about the rescued turtles?

Authorities sent the turtles for rehabilitation, with the Brevard Zoo in Florida receiving nine of them. Wildlife experts expected the turtles to remain for a few months before being released back into the wild. 

One visitor to Brevard Zoo told Fox 35 Orlando: "I don't feel good about smuggling anything because I've heard about a lot of animals that have been smuggled. It doesn't do them any good. They just want to make the money."

As for the smuggler, HuffPost reported that the court will sentence the man Tuesday and that he faces up to five years in prison.

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