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U.S. NEWS Saturday 20 May 2017
Charges shed light on sea cucumber smuggling at U.S. border

ELLIOT SPAGAT Security Investigations said. are served dried or fresh
Associated Press “I hope you’re aware that and often braised with fish,
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Charges you are asking for 17 tons vegetables and traditional
against a father-son part- and we have no papers for Chinese sauces. They are
nership for allegedly smug- that amount since Carlos’ sought to treat join pain,
gling more than $17 million entire product is without prevent cancer and serve
worth of sea cucumbers to invoice,” a supplier wrote as anti-inflammatory medi-
the United States and ex- David Mayorquin in 2011, cine.
porting them to Asia sheds which is mentioned in the Harvesting sea cucumbers
light on a growing and lu- indictment. “Nearly 10 tons is permitted in the United
crative illegal cross-border would be traveling without States and many parts of
trade. papers.” the world, but with limited
David Mayorquin and his The defendants also bribed quantities and only dur-
father, Ramon Torres May- Mexican officials, prosecu- ing high season. Blessings
orquin, are accused of a tors say. One email listed in was licensed with the U.S.
scheme to buy the illegally the indictment shows Mar- Fish and Wildlife Service to
harvested animals from roquin being asked to con- import and export sea cu-
poachers in Mexico’s Yu- In this Dec. 30, 2005 photo Jim DePompei of the Cabrillo Marine tribute $32,000 for payoffs. cumber, according to the
catan peninsula, pay for Aquarium holds a sea cucumber in the tide pools at Cabrillo Court documents do not indictment.
Beach in the San Pedro section of Los Angeles.
them under fake names Associated Press list an attorney for the May- Border inspectors in San Di-
and underestimate their orquins or the company, ego screened three large
weight and value to in- draw for poachers and cial and shipping records. which was also charged. A — and legal — commer-
spectors at San Diego’s smugglers. “These cases are very doc- woman who answered the cial hauls in the last week
Otay Mesa border cross- David Mayorquin, who is ument-intensive,” Plitt said. phone at Blessings on Fri- alone, said Erin Dean, resi-
ing, across from Tijuana, listed as the company’s “The volume of documents day said the company had dent agent in charge of
Mexico. From San Diego, chief executive officer in that have to pulled togeth- no comment and hung Fish and Wildlife’s South-
they allegedly shipped the public records, allegedly er and corroborated is sig- up.Sea cucumbers, which ern California office. Pros-
product to Asia, including bought $13 million worth of nificant.” are shaped like cucum- ecutors have also fielded a
China, where they are deli- sea cucumbers, knowing Investigators found emails bers with small feet and growing load of smuggling
cacies in Chinese dishes, that they were harvested that allegedly show the measure up to six feet (1.8 cases, which typically in-
prized for medicinal value without a permit or out of family communicating meters), are echinoderms, volve hiding the animals in
and considered an aphro- season, and they sold for with others about the ille- a family that includes star- vehicles or on bodies, she
disiac. $17.5 million. The indict- gal purchases, Homeland fish and sea urchin. They said.q
Border inspectors have ment, filed Wednesday in
spotted smuggled Mexi- federal court in San Diego,
can sea cucumbers for lists transactions from Janu-
years, but the charges ary 2010 to July 2012.
against the Mayorquins U.S. Homeland Security In-
and their family business, vestigations launched an
Blessings Inc. of Tucson, investigation around 2012
Arizona, are striking for the after company transac-
multi-ton shipments. Au- tions raised suspicions, said
thorities say they sell for James Plitt, deputy special
$300 to $500 a kilogram in agent in charge in San Di-
Asia, helping explain the ego. They examined finan-
Texas police

commanders demoted

amid leaked video,

records

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — partment began an in-
Two police commanders in ternal investigation after
Texas have been demoted officer William Martin’s
following an internal inves- body-camera video from
tigation into leaked body the December arrest of
camera footage after a Jacqueline Craig was
controversial arrest of a leaked along with Martin’s
black woman and her previous disciplinary re-
daughters by a Fort Worth cords.Craig said a neigh-
police officer. bor had assaulted her son
Lawyers for the two as- for littering. Cellphone vid-
sistant chiefs tell KXAS-TV eo shows Martin escalating
that the men met with Fort the situation before forcing
Worth Police Chief Joel Craig to the ground and
Fitzgerald on Friday after- arresting her and then her
noon and were demoted two daughters.Charges
to captains. against the women were
The Fort Worth Police De- later dropped q