LONG BEACH — Operation Jungle Book, a law enforcement initiative led by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service that targeted wildlife smuggling, has resulted in federal criminal charges against a defendant who allegedly participated in the illegal importation and/or transportation of monitor lizards.
The black market for protected wildlife increases the demand for wildlife and their parts, which threatens to decimate vulnerable species. The prosecution of these cases will educate the public about the laws protecting wildlife and deter future wildlife crimes.
Bryan Cho, 41, a Long Beach man is scheduled to be arraigned on Nov. 7 after being charged earlier this month with smuggling two monitor lizards species that had been shipped from the Philippines.
Cho allegedly was set to receive five monitor lizards in a package that was intercepted by Fish and Wildlife Service October 2016. After a shipping company delivered the package, Fish and Wildlife Service agents went to Cho’s business, where agents saw the same species of lizards in the store.
In May, Fish and Wildlife Service learned about another package from the Philippines that was sent to Cho’s business address in Long Beach. While the package was described as containing “Toy Cars,” Cho admitted to ordering two or three monitor lizards from the Philippines.
If he convicted of the smuggling offense, Cho would face a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
Indictments and criminal complaints contain allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.