Authorities have arrested a woman from China for attempting to smuggle 29 eastern box turtles, a protected species, into Canada by kayak at a Vermont lake bordering Quebec, according to Border Patrol agents.
Wan Yee Ng was apprehended on June 28 at an Airbnb in Canaan as she was preparing to embark on Lake Wallace in an inflatable kayak with a duffle bag, as stated in an agent’s affidavit filed in federal court. Royal Canadian Mounted Police had alerted agents that two other individuals, including a man believed to be her husband, were heading towards the United States from the Canadian side of the lake in an inflatable watercraft, according to the affidavit.
During a search of her duffle bag, agents discovered 29 live eastern box turtles wrapped in socks. These turtles are highly valued on the Chinese black market, with each being sold for $1,000, the affidavit reveals.
Ms. Ng is facing charges for attempting to export the turtles from the United States, which violates the Endangered Species Act. Following a court hearing, she was ordered to remain in custody. The federal public defender’s office, her legal representation, declined to provide a statement.
Border Patrol agents initially observed Ms. Ng at the Airbnb rental in May when they noticed a vehicle with Ontario plates in an area known for smuggling activities in Canaan, Vermont. Lake Wallace has been a site for both human and narcotic smuggling, the affidavit notes. The vehicle had entered the U.S. from Alburgh, Vermont, according to agents.
Ms. Ng had entered the United States in May on a visitor visa with Fort Lee, New Jersey as her intended destination, the affidavit states. Agents later learned that she re-entered the U.S. in Buffalo in a vehicle with Quebec plates on June 18, with plans to arrive at the same Airbnb on Lake Wallace in Vermont on June 25. Surveillance of the property was then initiated.
By Lisa Rathke
