Chinese national convicted of international trafficking of protected reptiles in the US

A Chinese national living in Brooklyn was sentenced to two years in federal prison for his role in a reptile smuggling ring that operated from the United States into the illegal international market, federal authorities said.

Wei Qiang Lin received the sentence on Dec. 24, 2025 after being convicted by a federal court in Buffalo, New York, for violating U.S. wildlife protection laws. In addition to the jail sentence, the judge ordered the forfeiture of $2,339 in cash that was seized from him at the time of his arrest, according to the Department of Justice.

The investigation revealed that Lin made about 222 shipments to Hong Kong between August 2023 and November 2024, in which he illegally transported about 850 live turtles. Most of the animals were eastern box turtles and three-toed box turtles, species protected under both U.S. law and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

According to prosecutors, the defendant used concealment methods to evade customs controls, falsely declaring the contents of the packages as "plastic animal toys" and wrapping the turtles in socks during shipment.

Authorities estimated that the value of the trafficked turtles exceeded $1.4 million. Lin also attempted to export other protected species, including lizards of the Abronia genus and venomous snakes such as the green tree snake and the palm viper.

Numerous packages were intercepted before leaving the country by customs inspectors, who found live animals inside. The seized turtles were transferred to the Buffalo Zoo, where a conservation program was established with the aim of protecting these species affected by illegal trade.