Woman Charged with Attempted Smuggling of Protected Turtles

Burlington, Vermont - The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on August 1, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a single-count indictment charging a Chinese woman, alleging she attempted to smuggle eastern box turtles, a protected wildlife species, from the United States to Canada for the illegal global pet trade.

Wan Yee Ng, 41, of Hong Kong, is charged with attempting to export merchandise contrary to law. Her arraignment has not yet been scheduled.

According to an affidavit filed with the criminal complaint in this case, Ng, a Chinese national living in Canada, came to the attention of the United States Border Patrol at the Beecher Falls Station in Canaan, Vermont, after repeatedly renting the same Vermont residence on Lake Wallace, an international body of water that has been used for human and narcotic smuggling. The United States Border Patrol also discerned that Ng's husband was renting a separate property on the lake in Canada at the same time.

On the morning of June 26, 2024, agents observed Ng begin to prepare an inflatable kayak near the water's edge and carry a duffle bag from the rented residence to the kayak. During this time the Royal Canadian Mounted Police notified agents that two individuals, one of which was believed to be Ng's spouse, had launched an inflatable watercraft on the Canadian side of Lake Wallace and began to paddle south toward the United States. Before she could leave the shore, agents intercepted Ng and detained her for suspected smuggling activity. Agents then observed, through a partially opened zipper on the duffle bag, what appeared to be socks that were moving. Further inspection revealed the bag contained 29 turtles that were individually wrapped in socks to protect their shells and so they could not move. The turtles were preliminarily identified by a United States Fish and Wildlife Special Agent as eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina).

Photo of box turtles, from the complaint in case U.S. v. Wan Yee Ng. Credit: USBP

The eastern box turtle is a subspecies of the common box turtle and is native to forested regions of the eastern United States with some isolated populations in the Midwest. Turtles with colorful markings are especially prized in the domestic and foreign pet trade market, particularly in China and Hong Kong. These animals are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an international agreement to protect fish, wildlife and plants that are or may become threatened with extinction. The United States and Canada are parties to this agreement. Smuggling wild turtles in violation of international protocols can seriously harm wildlife and undermine conservation efforts. Confiscated turtles are often in poor health and may need to be quarantined to reduce the risk of spreading disease.

The United States Attorney's Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Ng is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Ng faces up to 10 years if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and statutory sentencing factors.

United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and their seamless cooperation with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Thomas J. Aliberti with assistance from Senior Counsel for Wildlife Programs Elinor Colbourn of the Justice Department's Environmental Crimes Section. Ng is represented by Mark Kaplan, Esq.