Authorities said Donald Do of Daly City and an accomplice allegedly attempted to export the loggerhead musk turtles to Taiwan
Credit: Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- A California man faces federal charges after authorities said he attempted to illegally export hundreds of turtles out of the U.S.
- Authorities said Donald Do of Daly City and an accomplice allegedly tried to export 292 loggerhead musk turtles to Taiwan between December 2022 and May 2024
- The investigation was part of Operation Southern Hot Herps, which targets turtle poaching in the southeastern U.S.
A California man faces federal charges after authorities said he attempted to illegally export nearly 300 trafficked turtles out of the U.S.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Friday, May 15, that Donald Do of Daly City had been arrested and charged with conspiracy and crimes related to a conservation law called the Lacey Act after he allegedly submitted false paperwork to obtain a federal export permit and tried to ship protected turtles to Taiwan.
According to the indictment, Do and an accomplice allegedly tried to export 292 loggerhead musk turtles to Taiwan between December 2022 and May 2024.
Credit: Getty
"After obtaining the export permit, Do allegedly bought musk turtles poached from the wild in Florida and elsewhere, and tried to obtain more," DOJ officials wrote. "Do told sellers he was willing to take 'wild caught' and sent instructions to ship turtles to San Francisco."
Do also allegedly tried to acquire more than 200 turtles from Louisiana man Albert Bazaar, who was also detained last week in Phoenix on his own turtle trafficking charges.
Bazaar allegedly duped the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) into issuing a permit by falsely claiming Do had personally hatched and raised the turtles.
"After unsuccessfully exporting the turtles, Do allegedly tried to conceal his role by lying to his co-conspirator in California that he had sold the turtles to other domestic buyers," officials wrote.
Do is accused of violating the Lacey Act, which makes it illegal to provide false information about wildlife involved in "international or interstate commerce, or to sell or transport wildlife taken in violation of state law," according to the DOJ.
The USFWS said that the investigation into Do's alleged actions was part of Operation Southern Hot Herps — "a joint federal and state law enforcement operation to detect and deter turtle poachers in the southeastern United States."
The DOJ said that Do has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is set to appear in court on May 21, and if convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of the conspiracy and Lacey Act charges.
Loggerhead musk turtles have been on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora's (CITES) list of protected species since November 2022, according to the DOJ.
The turtle species is named for its large head, which supports "powerful jaw muscles" that enable them to feed on hard-shelled prey, such as whelks and conch, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
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Adult loggerheads can weigh anywhere from 200 to 350 pounds and grow as long as 2.5 to 3.5 feet, according to NOAA. Their lifespan is estimated to be be 70 years or more.
Although loggerheads are found around the world, they are also the most abundant sea turtle species that nests in the U.S. They reside in coastal waters, and many that are found in the U.S. migrate from nations including the Bahamas, Cuba and Mexico.
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