Latest news with #CherylDavies
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Yahoo
Smugglers try to disguise giant beetles as Japanese snacks, unsuccessfully
It sounds like the stuff of nightmares: you open a bag of potato chips hoping for a snack, only to find a 6-inch-long stag beetle crawling inside the container. Now multiply that scenario 37 times. That was the case last month at the Los Angeles International Airport, according to a February 5th announcement from the US Customs and Border Protection, when agricultural specialists seized over three dozen packages. Although intended to resemble various Japanese chips, chocolate, and other food items, each bag actually housed a smuggled, invasive insect frequently coveted by collectors on the black market. [ Related: Montana breeder of illegal, giant sheep hybrid clones gets 6 months in prison ] 'Enthusiasts enjoy seeing them fight against each other during mating season,' a CBP spokesperson said in an email to Popular Science. 'While they may be cool pets to have at home—if the insect escapes it can definitely cause significant damage to plants and trees.' 'They may look harmless but in reality, smuggled beetles pose a significant threat to our vital agriculture resources,' Cheryl Davies, CBP's Los Angeles Director of Field Operations, said through Wednesday's press release. 'Beetles can become a serious pest by eating plants, leaves, and roots and by laying eggs on tree bark which damages our forests.' To properly import live insects into the US, purchasers need to obtain multiple USDA permits, or a letter issued by the agency's Plants, Pathogens, and Biocontrol unit. Although the seized beetles were valued in total at around $1,480, the alleged smugglers may face larger penalties. Those can include years in prison, large fines, and forfeiture of the goods. Authorities subsequently turned the beetles over to USDA officials, who are responsible for assessing what to do with contraband animals. According to the CBP, the beetles will likely be donated to various zoos that already possess the correct legal permits. The 37 beetles are a comparative drop in the bucket compared to the CBP agriculture specialists' total daily nationwide seizures. On a 'typical day,' the agency reports an average of over 3,287 illegal meats, plants, and other animal byproducts, as well as more than 231 'agricultural pests.'
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Yahoo
Crunchy? US finds live beetles smuggled in Japanese snacks
Dozens of giant beetles hidden inside a shipment of Japanese snacks were uncovered at a US airport, customs officials said Wednesday. The live creepy crawlies, which were up to five inches (13 centimeters) long, were concealed among potato chips, chocolate and other goodies at Los Angeles International Airport last month. The 37 creatures were likely destined for collectors of exotic insects, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said, estimating they were worth around $1,500. "They may look harmless but in reality, smuggled beetles pose a significant threat to our vital agriculture resources," said Cheryl Davies of the CBP in Los Angeles. "Beetles can become a serious pest by eating plants, leaves and roots and by laying eggs on tree bark which damages our forests." The specimens, which included scarab beetles, stag beetles and darkling beetles, will likely find their way to local zoos that have permits for such creatures, the CBP said. Alongside its traditional cuisine, Japan has in recent years nurtured a reputation for innovative snacks, which include KitKat chocolates flavored with cherry blossom or wasabi. But while locusts, grasshoppers and crickets do find their way onto the Japanese dinner table, especially in rural areas, beetles are not commonly consumed. hg/acb
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Yahoo
Feds Bust $200 Million Counterfeit Ring at Los Angeles, Long Beach Ports
Nine people have been charged in connection with a scheme to smuggle at least $200 million worth of counterfeit and other illegal goods from China into the U.S. via the San Pedro Bay port complex of Los Angeles and Long Beach. A 15-count indictment levied by the U.S. Attorney's Office, unsealed on Friday, charges nine defendants with conspiracy, smuggling and breaking customs seals. The scheme took place from at least August 2023 to June 2024, the statement read. More from Sourcing Journal East Coast Strike Scare Sparked Clear Shift in December Amid East Coast Port Drama and Tariff Tensions, Port of LA Announces Second Busiest Year on Record A Peek Inside India's $9 Billion Vadhvan Port Project During the investigation, law enforcement seized more than $130 million in unspecified contraband, but authorities believe the true value of smuggled product throughout the ring to be north of $200 million. According to the indictment, a search of one warehouse used by the group led to the June 2024 seizure of $20 million worth of counterfeit items including shoes, perfume, luxury handbags, apparel and watches. The defendants allegedly took containers flagged for off-site secondary inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), unloaded the contraband, then stuffed the targeted containers with filler cargo to deceive customs officials and evade law enforcement. 'It was a team of CBP agriculture specialists assigned to the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport who in 2023, during a routine examination of a container made the initial discovery,' said Cheryl Davies, director of field operations in Los Angeles for the CBP. 'This case attests to their unwavering vigilance, upmost professionalism and keen focus in protecting the integrity of lawful trade, a key component of our critical national security mission.' According to the CBP, the specialists noticed that the security seal appeared to have been tampered with and that the cargo inside did not match what was on the shipping manifest. Prosecutors said the counterfeit security seals are used to deceive customs officials and were also shipped to the U.S. from China. According to U.S. CBP spokesperson Jaime Ruiz, the charges involve the largest trade fraud on record at the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex. To date, law enforcement has seized more than $1.3 billion worth of counterfeit goods associated with this and similar seal-swapping schemes. 'Secure seaports and borders are critical to our national security,' said acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. 'The smuggling of huge amounts of contraband from China through our nation's largest port hurts American businesses and consumers. The charges and arrests here demonstrate our commitment to enforce our customs laws and keep the American public safe.' According to an announcement Monday, eight suspects have been arrested, with seven taken into custody on Friday and one taken in on Saturday. Weijun Zheng, 57, 'the lone fugitive' in the case, according to the release, remains at large and is believed to be in China, where the ring's criminal partners are believed to also reside. Prosecutors allege Zheng controls several logistics companies operating in the Los Angeles area. The indictment said Zheng, 32-year-old Hexi Wang, 42-year-old Jin 'Mark' Liu and others maintained and operated warehouses to store, conceal and sell large amounts of contraband goods that were illegally imported into the United States from China. Another defendant, 31-year-old Dong 'Liam' Lin, controlled and operated one of the warehouses where contraband was unloaded, alongside Zheng. Wang and Liu are the respective manager and owner of K&P International Logistics LLC, a company that hires commercial truckers to transport shipping containers from the Port of Los Angeles. Liu allegedly managed the finances of one of the contraband-stored warehouses and issued payments to truck drivers who transported smuggled goods. Five more defendants were involved in the bust, all playing different roles in the scheme. Marck Anthony Gomez, 49, owns and operates Fannum Trucks LLC, a trucking company that is accused of coordinating the movement of contraband-filled shipping containers from the Port of Los Angeles. Andy Estuardo Castillo Perez, 32, a driver for another trucking company, M4 Transportation Inc., transported shipping containers out of the twin ports. Jesse James Rosales and Daniel Acosta Hoffman, both 41, coordinated truckers from the ports to warehouses. Another conspirator, 33-year-old Galvin Biao Liufu, directed and managed truck drivers to bring the contraband into the warehouses. The truck drivers involved earned about $10,000 for each illegal shipment, according to prosecutors. These drivers typically earn $200 to $300 each time they move a shipping container. 'Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles and its partners are committed to enforcing customs laws and practices, facilitating legitimate trade and protecting the integrity of the nation's supply chain,' said HSI Los Angeles special agent in charge Eddy Wang, in a statement. 'The $1.3 billion dollars' worth of contraband seized during the investigation into this type of scheme illuminates how complex smuggling schemes try to exploit our legitimate trade practices and the American consumer.' If convicted of all charges, the nine defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each conspiracy count, up to 10 years in federal prison for each count of breaking customs seals and up to 20 years in prison for each smuggling count. The seven arrested last week were arraigned Friday, where each pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. A trial date was scheduled for March 18. The eighth defendant, who was arrested on unrelated state charges, is expected to be arraigned in federal court in the coming days.
