14 Arrested for Illegal Reptile Trafficking : Outdoors: Wildlife agents confiscate more than 200 snakes in undercover operation.

State and federal wildlife agents climaxed undercover operation King Rosy by arresting 14 people and confiscating more than 200 snakes in a daybreak sweep of Los Angeles, Riverside and Orange counties on Wednesday.

Authorities said 124 snakes were taken from one Fullerton apartment with “another hundred or so” left behind.

One of two 16-year-old juveniles arrested in Banning had 12 rattlesnakes. The other was bitten by one of his rattlesnakes Tuesday night and was arrested as he was released from the hospital the next morning.

However, most of the snakes found were not venomous. Their market values range from $5 to an estimated $200.

The arrests came after four months of investigation into suspected illegal trafficking in snakes and other reptiles. The operation was named for two of three snakes approved for captive rearing in California, the kingsnake and rosy boa constrictor.

Violations under Section 40.15 (c) (1) of the state Fish and Game Code are misdemeanors calling for a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine and/or six months in jail on each count. Those arrested were released from Riverside County Municipal Court on $2,500 bond. Arraignment is scheduled next month.

The sweep was carried out by 25 wardens from the California Department of Fish and Game, assisted by four agents and four inspectors from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The snakes, plus a desert tortoise, two gecko lizards and a chuckwalla--an iguana-like desert reptile--will be dispersed to holding sites until dispositions of the cases are determined. Some might be returned to their owners, but none will be released into the wild.

DFG Lt. Dave Smith said: “You can sell captively bred snakes with a permit, but you can’t sell, buy or offer to buy captured snakes.”

Sales by DFG wardens of snakes they had captured--one for $10, another for $20--led to the arrests of two men, one of whom owns a Canyon Country pet store specializing in reptiles. Smith said snake hunters often use dealers to “launder” illegal snakes for subsequent sale.

“Collecting snakes and keeping them as pets is increasing in popularity,” Smith said. “We want to make a point here that we’re not going to allow them to abuse the resource.” The 12 adults arrested were Alexander Scott, Canyon Lake; Ronald Dean Anderson Jr., Whittier; Freddie Philip Avila, Fontana; Thomas Edward Bees, Garden Grove; Brian Batty, Canyon Lake; Robert Botel, Irvine; Robert Brooks, Upland; Clifton John Kessler, Moreno Valley; Jonathan Darryl Martell, Ontario; George Philip Pallas, Arcadia; Jeffery Stephen Signoretti, Riverside, and Lewis Reed Souder, Fullerton.

The two juveniles were not identified.