A Daly City man was arrested this week after getting caught up in a national multiagency law enforcement operation aimed at busting illegal turtle traffickers.
Donald Do is accused of conspiracy and federal Lacey Act crimes against wild loggerhead musk turtles, according to U.S. Department of Justice officials.
The much-prized and adorable aquatic reptiles can be legally bought and sold in some states as long as they are bred in captivity.
Do and another defendant allegedly conspired to obtain and sell wild-caught turtles between December 2022 and May 2024, according to federal prosecutors.
After allegedly obtaining an export permit under false pretenses, Do allegedly bought musk turtles poached from the wild in Florida and elsewhere and tried to buy more.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigated Do as part of Operation Southern Hot Herps, a joint federal and state law enforcement operation aimed at corralling turtle poachers in the South and bringing them to justice.
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Dirk van Ulden said:
Dirk van Ulden said:
Dirk van Ulden said:
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