One of two containers of coral unlawfully shipped to a customer in Portland, Oregon
USFWS

Coral Smuggler Pleads Guilty

A German national investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for unlawfully importing over 40 tons of internationally protected stony coral from the Philippines (which bans all coral exports) has pleaded guilty in Portland, Oregon, to one felony smuggling count. The man, who owns a company in Germany that sells coral products to U.S. retailers, was arrested by Service special agents when he traveled to the United States last February to attend a pet expo.

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Published on: Tuesday, October 20, 2009