{"id":2020048,"date":"2023-09-02T04:49:01","date_gmt":"2023-09-02T08:49:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/traffickers-plead-guilty-to-smuggling-over-10000-in-endangered-sea-cucumbers\/"},"modified":"2023-09-02T04:55:50","modified_gmt":"2023-09-02T08:55:50","slug":"traffickers-plead-guilty-to-smuggling-over-10000-in-endangered-sea-cucumbers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/traffickers-plead-guilty-to-smuggling-over-10000-in-endangered-sea-cucumbers\/","title":{"rendered":"Traffickers admit smuggling $10K+ of endangered sea cucumbers."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftraffickers-plead-guilty-to-smuggling-over-10000-in-endangered-sea-cucumbers%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2020048&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div data-post-content=\"true\" class=\"post_content\" id=\"post_content\">\n<h2>Wildlife Traffickers Plead \u200dGuilty to Smuggling Endangered Sea Cucumbers<\/h2>\n<p>LOS\u2062 ANGELES\u2014In a \u200dstunning case of illegal\u2064 wildlife trafficking, two individuals pleaded guilty this week in federal court in California to illegally importing \u2062endangered \u2063<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/china-seizes-live-australian-rock-lobsters-after-declaring-security-threat\/\" title=\"China Seizes Live Australian Rock Lobsters After Declaring 'Security Threat'\">sea cucumbers<\/a> from Mexico. These sea cucumbers, highly prized in\u200d China for\u200d their culinary and medicinal value, are believed to\u200b have aphrodisiac \u200cproperties.<\/p>\n<p>Zunyu Zhao \u200cand Xionwei Xiao were charged with conspiracy and illegal importation\u2064 of brown \u2063sea cucumbers worth over $10,000 from 2017 to 2019. They are scheduled to \u2063be sentenced in September and November,\u2063 respectively.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutors have not disclosed the exact location where the sea \u200bcucumbers were obtained. However, \u2062the defendants were apprehended with\u2062 the smuggled sea creatures as they crossed\u200b the\u200d border from Mexico into the United\u200c States at Calexico. As part of their plea agreement, \u2062Zhao and Xiao have agreed to pay restitution\u2063 to the Mexican government&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/air-pollution-increases-dementia-risk-new-nih-study-finds\/\" title=\"New NIH study links air pollution to higher dementia risk.\">environmental\u2063 protection \u2062agency<\/a>. If convicted,\u200b they could face up to 25 years in\u200b prison.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Related Stories<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/epochtv\/hundreds-of-thousands-trafficked-into-southeast-asia-scam-centers-un-5482609\">\u2018Hundreds of Thousands\u2019 Trafficked Into \u2063Southeast Asia Scam\u200c Centers: UN<\/a> (8\/29\/2023)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/world\/three-people-traffickers-jailed-for-bringing-illegal-immigrants-over-in-small-boats-5480741\">Three People Traffickers Jailed\u2063 for Bringing Illegal Immigrants\u200c Over in Small Boats<\/a> (8\/26\/2023)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Attorneys for Zhao and\u2062 Xiao did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n<p>During the investigation, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/traffickers-plead-guilty-to-smuggling-over-10000-in-endangered-sea-cucumbers\/\" title=\"Traffickers admit smuggling K+ of endangered sea cucumbers.\">authorities discovered \u2062incriminating text messages<\/a> and images\u2062 exchanged between Zhao \u200cand Xiao \u2064regarding the illegal transactions. The seized sea \u200bcucumbers are currently being held as evidence by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.<\/p>\n<p>Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Haden stated, &#8220;This office is committed to\u200b upholding the twin pillars of marine biodiversity and conservation. Criminals\u200d considering\u200c poaching \u200c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/study-nearly-half-of-bald-eagles-have-lead-poisoning\/\" title=\"Study: Nearly Half Of Bald Eagles Have Lead Poisoning\">protected species<\/a> should \u2062be aware that this office will diligently investigate, thoroughly\u200b prosecute, and seek \u200brestitution no \u2063matter the species.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Sea cucumbers, belonging to the same family as sea stars and sea\u2064 urchins, can grow up to 7\u200c feet \u2063in length. \u2062Brown sea cucumbers, specifically Isostichopus fuscus, have a smooth body with warts and can reach a length of 2\u200b feet.<\/p>\n<p>These fascinating creatures play a\u200c crucial \u2063role in \u2062the ocean&#8217;s\u2063 ecosystem \u2063by acting as a vacuum on the\u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/u-s-navy-in-race-against-time-to-beat-china-to-recover-downed-f-35c-jet\/\" title=\"U.S. Navy In Race Against Time To Beat China To Recover Downed F-35C Jet\">sea floor<\/a>, breaking down particles and contributing to the nutrient cycle, according to\u200c Gordon Hendler, curator of echinoderms \u200dat\u200b the Museum \u2062of Natural History in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<p>While the destination of the smuggled \u200dsea cucumbers \u200dhas not been disclosed, there is a thriving\u200c black market that frequently transports them to\u200d China,\u200d where they\u2062 are considered a delicacy. They are typically served dried or fresh and often braised with fish, vegetables, and traditional \u200dsauces. In addition to their culinary\u200d value, sea cucumbers are sought \u200dafter for their\u2064 medicinal properties, including the treatment of joint pain, cancer prevention, and\u200d anti-inflammatory effects\u2014some of which have\u200c been validated by scientific research. They are also believed to be an aphrodisiac.<\/p>\n<p>However, due to overfishing, the brown sea cucumber \u200cis now\u200b a protected species, leading to regulations on their harvest. While harvesting sea cucumbers is \u2062permitted in the United \u200cStates and\u2062 many parts of the world, it is \u200cstrictly\u200d regulated and \u2063limited to specific seasons and quantities. Unfortunately, Zhao and\u2063 Xiao \u200cdid not \u200bpossess the necessary permits \u2063and documentation for their activities,\u200b according to \u200bKelly Thornton, spokesperson for the U.S. attorney&#8217;s office.<\/p>\n<p>In a \u2062similar case in 2017, a father-son partnership smuggled over $17 million worth of \u200bsea cucumbers from Mexico&#8217;s Yucatan Peninsula to the United \u200dStates, ultimately exporting them to \u200cAsia. The \u200cillegal trade of sea cucumbers remains a global concern, \u2063with efforts being made \u2062to combat this illicit activity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Two wildlife traffickers, Zunyu Zhao and Xionwei Xiao, admitted guilt in a California federal court for unlawfully importing endangered sea cucumbers from Mexico. These sea cucumbers, highly valued in China for their culinary, medicinal, and aphrodisiac properties, were worth more than $10,000. The illegal activities occurred between 2017 and 2019.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":2020049,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2020048","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2020048","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/136"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2020048"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2020048\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2020049"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2020048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2020048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2020048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}