Turtle Poaching Arrest in Louisiana
On Thursday, authorities reported the detention of a man believed to be involved in a turtle poaching operation associated with the Asian pet trade.
A federal judge has ordered Albert Bazaar, previously from Angie, Louisiana, to remain in custody following his arrest on conspiracy and Lacey Act charges. The Department of Justice (DOJ) shared that an indictment claims Bazaar was responsible for the illegal capture of over 1,700 loggerhead sea turtles, 100 striped turtles, and 15 striped mud turtles from Florida waters between January 2022 and December 2023. A status hearing is set for May 14 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Prosecutors allege that Bazaar engaged in eight separate transactions in which he sold wild-caught reptiles to exporters located in San Francisco, California. He reportedly assisted buyers financially for poaching trips and the purchase of boats and vans. These exporters supposedly sent the captured animals to Taiwan. The indictment indicates that Bazaar provided false information to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), claiming the turtles were legally bred in Alabama and Georgia. It’s estimated that the animals could be worth more than $550,000 on the Asian pet market.
The three turtle species in question are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a treaty that the U.S. and 184 other nations have ratified, limiting international wildlife trade without proper permits. If convicted of the conspiracy and Lacey Act charges, Bazaar faces up to five years in prison and a potential fine of $250,000.
Investigators are looking into similar cases, such as one involving Wei Chang Ling, who recently signed a two-year sentence after pleading guilty for exporting around 850 turtles, valued at approximately $1.4 million, to Hong Kong concealed as plastic toys.
Historically, Louisiana has been a significant trade hub, with about 16 million live turtles passing through New Orleans for commercial export from 2012 to 2016, as per export records reviewed by FWS.
