Members of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are being hailed as heroes after seizing thousands of pounds of illegal fish fins.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is the lead federal agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior for combating wildlife trafficking in the United States.
In October 2025, the agency proved just that, as wildlife inspectors intercepted 1,600 pounds of shark fins while conducting searches in Anchorage, Alaska, according to a statement from the USFWS.
Officials uncovered shark fins worth over $1 million across multiple U.S. ports, starting with a shipment in Anchorage.
The cargo was disguised as car parts to travel through Alaska, Kentucky and Ohio, and is part of a larger trafficking network, officials stated.
“The coordinated enforcement action was part of Operation Thunder, a global effort to combat illegal wildlife trade,” a statement from the Wildlife Service said.
“These weren’t small-time violations,” a statement from the USFWS said.
“This was an organized criminal network exploiting protected species for profit.”
Officers shared a photo of the 26 boxes of shark fins uncovered in disguise.
Most of the fins come from silky sharks and bigeye thresher sharks, both of which are protected species.
According to the USFWS, wildlife trafficking can harm people by increasing the risk of zoonotic diseases and severely impacting food, land and other natural resources that humans need for survival.
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