Poaching of 1,700 Protected Turtles Leads to Trafficking Charges in Arizona

A Louisiana man has been federally charged in an alleged turtle-trafficking scheme tied to the Asian exotic pet trade.

Albert Bazaar, formerly of Angie, Louisiana, remains in custody following his arrest and May 7 indictment in federal court in Phoenix.

Federal prosecutors unsealed a San Francisco indictment accusing Bazaar of conspiracy and multiple violations of the Lacey Act, which bars the interstate transport or sale of wildlife taken illegally under state law.

According to the Department of Justice, Bazaar allegedly sold illegally collected turtles to an exporter on eight occasions between January 2022 and December 2023.

Investigators say Bazaar poached more than 1,700 loggerhead musk turtles, 100 stripe-neck musk turtles, and 15 striped mud turtles from Florida waterways.

The reptiles are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international agreement governing wildlife trade.

Federal fisheries officials recognize nine loggerhead turtle populations worldwide, with most protected under the Endangered Species Act as threatened or endangered.

Researchers have identified only two nesting regions with more than 10,000 breeding females annually—peninsular Florida and Oman.

Scientists also report signs of decline in Oman’s loggerhead population, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries.

The National Institutes of Health lists stripe-neck musk turtles as a species of concern because of habitat degradation, while Florida wildlife officials include the striped mud turtle in the state’s Imperiled Species Management Plan.

Authorities allege that the San Francisco exporter funded Bazaar’s poaching trips from Louisiana to Florida, including money for a boat and van.

Prosecutors say Bazaar helped ship the turtles from San Francisco to Taiwan by falsely claiming that they were captive-bred to secure export permits.

The indictment also alleges that Bazaar submitted fraudulent paperwork stating that the turtles had been bred legally in Alabama and Georgia.

Authorities estimate that the turtles were worth more than $550,000 in the Asian pet market.

If convicted, Bazaar faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each conspiracy and Lacey Act charge.

The investigation is part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Operation Southern Hot Herps, a multiagency crackdown on turtle poaching across the Southeast.

Investigating agencies include Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

A status conference is scheduled for May 14 in Phoenix.