California couple sentenced for international wildlife trafficking

wildlife trafficking Lacey Act endangered species rhino horn smuggling international crime

Linh Luu and Kevin Le, a married couple from Anaheim, California, have pleaded guilty in a federal court in Oregon to violating the Lacey Act. The pair admitted to playing a central financial role in an international wildlife trafficking ring that operated between the United States and Vietnam from September 2019 to May 2021.

According to the Department of Justice, the couple processed approximately $51,100 in payments to facilitate the illegal movement of protected species. The smuggling operation involved shipping American black bear gallbladders and cougar bones to Vietnam, while importing lion teeth, rhinoceros horns, and a tiger pelt into Oregon. In one instance, the couple met with an undercover federal agent and accepted $12,000 for a rhino horn, discussing methods to evade U.S. banking regulations.

Both individuals were sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine each. The trafficked items are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the Endangered Species Act.