Wildlife investigators with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife say they’ve uncovered what they suspect is a massive illegal animal-parts trafficking operation in Los Angeles County tied to a local business.
According to CDFW’s Special Operations Unit, officers discovered what appear to be at least nine rhino horns, thousands of pieces of elephant ivory, several large carved tusks and a sea turtle shell. The items were seized as evidence and will be tested and verified at the department’s Wildlife Forensics Lab.
“California was among the first to take a stand against the ivory trade, and our commitment has not wavered,” said CDFW Deputy Director and Chief of Law Enforcement Nathaniel Arnold. “These operations send a clear message that we will continue to hold accountable those who profit from the destruction of wildlife.”
Investigators say the case highlights the ongoing global demand for ivory and rhino horn — trade that fuels poaching and organized crime networks worldwide.
The discovery also comes exactly 10 years after California first enacted its statewide ban on ivory and rhino horn sales.
Assembly Bill 96, authored by then-Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in October 2015, took effect in 2016, making California the third state in the nation to outlaw such sales, authorities said. The law expanded state enforcement authority, allowing CDFW officers to target and dismantle illegal wildlife-trafficking operations.
CDFW encourages anyone with information about wildlife trafficking or poaching to report it through the CalTIP program by calling 888-334-CALTIP (2258) or by texting anonymous tips to TIP411 (847411).
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