Man Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Endangered Sea Cucumbers in His Tire

March 9,2014

 

 

 

 

A man has pleaded guilty to charges he smuggled 100 pounds of sea cucumber (like the one pictured above) into the United States from Mexico. (AP Photo/NZ IPY-CAML, Richard O'Driscoll)

A San Diego man has pleaded guilty to smuggling 100 pounds of dried sea cucumber into the United States from Mexico, according to federal prosecutors.
The US attorney's office reports their market value was between $5,000 and $10,000.
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The marine animals are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, so those who import them into the U.S. need a permit.
Sea cucumbers are leathery-skinned marine animals used in some folk medicine practices.
United States Attorney Laura E. Duffy says Cheng Zhuo Liu, a resident of Chula Vista, admitted to tucking the sea cucumbers into the spare tire area of his car before crossing the border last October.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.