Nearly 2,000 Florida turtles allegedly poached and sold in $550K exotic pet trade scheme
Prosecutors say the turtles were illegally taken from Florida and exported overseas for profit
A Louisiana man has been federally indicted in connection with an alleged wildlife trafficking scheme that prosecutors say involved the poaching and illegal export of nearly 2,000 protected turtles from Florida waters, valued at more than $550,000 on the international exotic pet market.
Albert Bazaar, formerly of Angie, Louisiana, was taken into federal custody in Phoenix following his arrest on conspiracy and Lacey Act violations tied to the alleged trafficking operation, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Prosecutors allege that between January 2022 and December 2023, Bazaar illegally collected and sold more than 1,800 protected turtles, including over 1,700 loggerhead musk turtles, 100 stripe-neck musk turtles, and 15 striped mud turtles. Authorities say the animals were taken from protected habitats in Florida before being exported through San Francisco to Taiwan.
The Lacey Act prohibits the transport or sale of wildlife taken in violation of state law and criminalizes false documentation used in wildlife trade. Investigators allege Bazaar falsely labeled the turtles as captive-bred in order to obtain export permits, claiming in official filings that they had been bred in Alabama and Georgia.
According to prosecutors, the turtles were instead removed from the wild and funneled through a trafficking network involving at least eight separate transactions with a San Francisco exporter. Authorities also allege the exporter financed parts of the operation, including payments for a boat and van used in poaching trips from Louisiana into Florida.
Officials estimate the turtles were ultimately worth more than $550,000 in the Asian exotic pet trade.
Federal authorities say the case is part of a broader crackdown on illegal wildlife trafficking in the southeastern United States under “Operation Southern Hot Herps,” a joint initiative involving the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and multiple state wildlife agencies.
The loggerhead musk turtle, stripe-neck musk turtle, and striped mud turtle are all protected species under Florida law and listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which regulates international wildlife trade.
If convicted, Bazaar faces up to five years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 per charge. The case remains under federal investigation.