Turtle Traffic

Turtle Traffic
Jimbo,
People Watch As Meirav, A Loggerhead Sea Turtle, Is Released Back Into The Mediterranean Sea At A Beach Near Ashkelon
People watch as Meirav, a loggerhead sea turtle weighing over 8kgs, is released back into the Mediterranean Sea at a beach near the southern city of Ashkelon August 23, 2012. Israel Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center employees released four sea turtles on Thursday after they were rescued and treated at the centre. REUTERS/Amir Cohen (ISRAEL - Tags: ANIMALS SOCIETY)

A Louisiana man is under arrest for operating a slow-moving trafficking scheme involving turtles.

Federal agents say Albert Bazaar of Angie, Louisiana is accused of running a massive turtle‑trafficking scheme, illegally scooping up more than 1,800 protected turtles from Florida between 2022 and 2023 and sending them overseas for the exotic pet trade. Investigators say he tried to pass them off as captive‑bred, but authorities weren’t buying it — and now the jig is up.

Officials estimate the turtles — which included 1,700 loggerheads, 100 stripe-neck musk turtles, and 15 striped mud turtles — were worth more than half-a-million dollars. Bazaar was arrested and ordered detained by a federal judge, and if convicted, he could face years in prison and hefty fines under federal wildlife trafficking laws. (KNOE-TV)

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