Burlington Standard

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 with attempting 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. This international body of water 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 June 26, 2024, agents observed Ng preparing an inflatable kayak near the water’s edge and carrying a duffle bag from her rented residence to the kayak. During this time, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police notified agents that two individuals—one believed to be Ng’s spouse—had launched an inflatable watercraft on the Canadian side of Lake Wallace and began paddling south toward the United States. Before she could leave shore, agents intercepted Ng and detained her for suspected smuggling activity. Agents then observed through a partially opened zipper on her duffle bag what appeared to be socks that were moving. Further inspection revealed that it contained 29 turtles individually wrapped in socks to protect their shells and prevent movement. The turtles were preliminarily identified by a United States Fish and Wildlife Special Agent as eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina).

The eastern box turtle 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 domestic and foreign pet trade markets, particularly in China and Hong Kong. These animals are protected by CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), an international agreement aimed at protecting fish, wildlife and plants threatened with extinction. Both the United States and Canada are parties to this agreement.

Smuggling wild turtles can seriously harm wildlife conservation efforts as confiscated turtles are often found in poor health and may need quarantine to reduce disease risk.

The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only; Ng is presumed innocent until proven guilty. If convicted, she faces up to 10 years imprisonment; however, sentencing would be determined by Court guidelines and statutory factors.

United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended investigatory efforts by U.S. Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service along with cooperation from Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas J. Aliberti assisted by Senior Counsel for Wildlife Programs Elinor Colbourn from Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section. Ng is represented by Mark Kaplan Esq.