The Rhino likes animals. He hopes these jerks spend a lot of time in prision.

rocky mtn news

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/l ... 17,00.html

Eight people were indicted Thursday on charges they sold exotic skins from sea turtles and other protected species to an undercover agent in Denver.
The group illegally shipped more than 700 skins of sea turtle, python, caiman and ostrich from Mexico to the United States over the course of a three-year investigation, the indictment alleges.

They also sent more than 100 items made from the skins, including boots, wallets and belts, using the code word "cerveza" - Spanish for "beer" - to refer to sea turtles in phone calls and e-mails.

The suspects believed the agent was a businessman selling the products, the indictment says.

Sea turtles are protected under an international agreement aimed at saving them from extinction.

Their skin is "highly prized contraband" on the black market, fetching up to $500 for a pair of boots, said Benito Perez, the acting chief of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife office of law enforcement.

In some Latin American and Caribbean cultures, the skin is a symbol of virility. Perez said Thursday's bust should send a message: "Sea turtles are not raw material for making boots," he said. "They are natural treasures that must and will be protected."

The indictments are part of a larger, nationwide investigation into the exotic animal skin trade, U.S. Attorney for Colorado Troy Eid said.

Federal authorities still are investigating how the suspects got the skins and where other shipments were sold. They said the boots and wallets likely made their way to businesses and flea markets across the country.

Five suspects were arrested Thursday - two in Texas, the other three, all from Mexico, were arrested in Denver, Eid said. Three others are fugitives in Mexico.

The men arrested Thursday were identified as Carlos Leal Barragan, Esteban Lopez Estrada and Martin Villegas Terrones, all from Mexico; Jorge Caraveo of El Paso, Texas; and Oscar Cueva of McAllen, Texas.

The fugitives are Miguel Vazquez Pimentel, Maria de los Angeles Cruz Pacheco and Octavio Anguiano Munoz.

All are charged with smuggling exotic skins into the United States and money laundering. Cueva, Pimentel, Terrones and Estrada also face charges of conspiring to smuggle exotic skins.


The conspiracy charge carries a possible penalty of up to five years in prison and $250,000 in fines, while the smuggling charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000.

Smugglers' prey

Federal authorities busted a ring that illegally smuggled the skins of sea turtles - among the world's most imperiled species - and other protected animals.