Sixth Defendant Pleads Guilty in Connection With Illegal Sea Turtle Smuggling

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Esteban Lopez Estrada, a Mexican
national, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Denver to one felony
count of smuggling and one felony count of money laundering in connection with
the smuggling of sea turtle and other exotic skins and skin products into the
United States from Mexico, the Justice Department announced today.

Including today's plea, six of the seven defendants detained in the case have
now pleaded guilty: Chinese nationals Fu Yiner and Wang Hong; Mexican national
Carlos Leal Barragan; Oscar Cueva of McAllen, Texas; and Jorge Caraveo of El
Paso, Texas.

Lopez Estrada and ten others were indicted in Denver in August 2007 following
a multi-year undercover investigation named Operation Central, conducted by
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Branch of Special Operations. Lopez Estrada
and six other defendants were arrested on Sept. 6, 2007.

Lopez Estrada was indicted in two separate indictments related to the
smuggling of sea turtles and other exotic leathers and exotic leather products
into the United States from Mexico. As set forth in the indictments and
acknowledged in today's plea agreement, Lopez Estrada operated a business in
Leon, Mexico named Botas Exoticas Canada Grande, through which he bought and
sold exotic leathers, including sea turtle, caiman, ostrich and lizard skins;
manufactured boots and belts from the skins; and sold the skins, boots, and
belts to customers in the United States. After arranging sales to customers in
the U.S., Lopez Estrada sent the exotic leathers and leather products to his
co-defendants Caraveo and Cueva in Mexico for clandestine importation into the
United States. As payment for the skins, boots, and belts, he received
international wire transfers from Colorado to his Mexican bank account.

A sentencing hearing is set for April 30, 2008 at 2:30 MST.

"Lopez Estrada is the sixth defendant to plead guilty as a result of this
undercover operation," said Ronald J. Tenpas, Assistant Attorney General for
the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. "The
Justice Department will continue to work with investigative agencies such as
the Fish and Wildlife Service to prosecute the illegal smuggling of protected
species such as sea turtles and to ensure that those who engage in such
activity cannot regard the United States as a safe market for their illegal
products."

"We mean business when it comes to protecting endangered sea turtles," said
Troy Eid, U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado. "Kudos to the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service Branch of Special Operations for making this possible."

There are seven known species of sea turtles. Five of the seven species are
listed as "endangered" under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Sea turtles are
sometimes illegally killed for their shell, meat, skins, and eggs, which have
commercial value. International trade in all sea turtle parts for commercial
purposes is prohibited by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Fauna and Flora, also known as the CITES treaty, a multilateral
treaty to which the United States, China, and approximately 170 other
countries are parties. CITES also restricts international trade in many other
species of wildlife, including some involved in this case, which are deemed at
risk of extinction and are, or may be, affected by international trade. United
States law independently requires that wildlife entering the U.S. be clearly
marked and declared to customs or wildlife officials upon entry, requires
permits for trade in or handling of many species of wildlife, and prohibits
commercial trade in endangered species.

This prosecution is the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service Branch of Special Operations, led by Special Agent George
Morrison. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda
McMahan of the District of Colorado, and Senior Trial Attorney Robert S.
Anderson and Trial Attorney Colin L. Black of the Department of Justice's
Environmental Crimes Section.

SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs, +1-202-514-2007