LOS ANGELES : Woman Gets Prison for Smuggling Sea Turtle Eggs
A Salvadoran woman who was caught smuggling 3,780 endangered sea turtle eggs into the United States was sentenced Wednesday to six months in federal prison.
Isabel Bonilla and her fugitive partner, Sebastian Guerrero Chacon, were arrested at Los Angeles International Airport in October with eight boxes of eggs, which were concealed in bread balls, upon arrival from the Central American nation, said Assistant U.S. Atty. Erica Martin.
The prosecutor said the “olive Ridley” eggs, which are protected under the Endangered Species Act because the turtles are threatened with extinction, are considered an aphrodisiac in the Salvadoran community. They sell for $1 to $5 apiece.
“This has definitely become a real problem in California and Florida, and we’re hoping this sends a message to would-be smugglers that the United States does not condone this kind of behavior,” Martin said.
Bonilla, 41, pleaded guilty Dec. 3 to conspiracy charges before U.S. District Judge John Davies.
Chacon, who was free on $10,000 bond, fled to El Salvador after agreeing to plead guilty in the case, Martin said. Prosecutors are attempting to get him back to Los Angeles to face the charges.
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