New York, August 13, 2025 – New York-based Chinese man Wei Qiang Lin pleaded guilty in the Western District Court of New York on Monday, August 11, admitting to illegally exporting protected live turtles to Hong Kong.
According to court records, between August 2023 and November 2024, Lin exported approximately 222 packages to Hong Kong, involving around 850 turtles. To evade inspection, he falsely labeled the transport boxes as “plastic animal toys” and other items. This batch of turtles was valued at approximately $1.4 million. Law enforcement intercepted the goods at the border, discovering the turtles bound, sealed, stuffed into tied socks, and then packed for transport.
In addition to the turtles, Lin also exported 11 packages containing various reptiles, including venomous snakes. The main species exported were Eastern Box Turtles and Three-toed Box Turtles, both originally from the United States, and popular in the pet markets of mainland China and Hong Kong due to their vibrant patterns. These turtles have been listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) due to tens of thousands of them being illegally exported in the 1990s.
Lin is set to be sentenced on December 23, facing a maximum of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $250,000 or double the illegal profits. As part of the plea agreement, he has agreed to relinquish any property interests related to the reptiles seized in the case.
Lin was investigated and prosecuted as part of the “Operation Terrapene” initiated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to combat turtle smuggling activities and dismantle well-organized criminal networks. The operation involved multiple federal and local law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations.
The case was jointly announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, Adam Gustafson, and U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York, Michael DiGiacomo.