850 native turtles were intercepted by customs agents with help from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Operation Terrapene
From the Office of United States Attorney Michael DiGiacomo
BUFFALO, NY — U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo and Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) announced today that Wei Qiang Lin, of Brooklyn, NY, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to falsely labeling live turtles as fake toys prior to exporting them in delivery boxes on a weeks-long journey to Hong Kong. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000. As part of his plea, Lin agreed to abandon any property interest in the reptiles seized during the investigation.
According to court records, between August 2023, and November 2024, Lin exported to Hong Kong approximately 222 parcels containing around 850 turtles, but he labeled the boxes as containing “plastic animal toys,” among other things. The approximate market value of the turtles was $1.4 million. Law enforcement intercepted the turtles during a border inspection and observed them bound and taped inside knotted socks within the shipping boxes. Lin also exported 11 other parcels filled with reptiles including venomous snakes. Lin primarily shipped eastern box turtles and three-toed box turtles, native U.S. species which feature colorful markings — a prized feature in the domestic and foreign pet market, particularly in China and Hong Kong. Both are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) as a result of the illegal export of tens of thousands of box turtles every year during the 1990s.
Lin was investigated and charged as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Operation Terrapene, which is an ongoing operation coordinated with other federal and local law enforcement agencies to detect turtle smugglers and dismantle highly organized syndicates. Federal agencies include Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations.
Trial Attorney Rachel Roberts and Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango for the Western District of New York are prosecuting the case.
Lin is scheduled to be sentenced on December 23, 2025, before Judge Vilardo.
