Historically, enforcement has been largely reactive. There is so much global trade that fewer than 1 in 10 international cargo shipments of any kind are physically inspected. Traffickers also avoid detection by using false or generic names instead of proper species identification, employing coded language in online listings, rerouting shipments and shifting to different messaging platforms when enforcement pressure increases. Emerging digital tools are helping authorities link online monitoring, legal reference tools and on-the-ground investigations.
"The wildlife that Bied unlawfully imported and conspired to import was protected by the Endangered Species Act as well as [CITES]," the office of U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah B. Foley said. Adam Bied, 40, bought, sold, and traded the endangered animal parts from 2018 to 2021, knowing his transactions violated U.S. laws and regulations, according to federal prosecutors. The Reading resident worked with other traffickers based in Cameroon and Indonesia to obtain the parts, and neither sought nor obtained the proper USDWS licenses or CITES permits, Foley's office said.
Despite half a century of international protection, TRAFFIC's findings showed that tiger trafficking is accelerating and increasingly targeting whole animals, living or dead. Experts say the shift appears linked to captive-breeding operations, but may also reflect tigers being seized shortly after poaching or before being dismembered for their parts. Additionally, it could be driven by a rise in exotic pet ownership or demand for taxidermy, they say.
"We never imagined Mexico would emerge as number one, says Kurt Duchez, an anti-wildlife trafficking officer for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Mesoamerica."
