NOGALES, Ariz. — Customs officials have reported making Arizona's largest seizure of an endangered fish species at the Nogales port of entry.
On April 13, federal officials at the Mariposa trade facility discovered 270 swim bladders of the endangered Totoaba fish concealed inside a commercial truck hauling fish fillets.
Swim bladders are a special organ in fish that helps control their buoyancy. These organs have become highly profitable in certain parts of the world because of their use in cultural delicacies and to treat ailments.
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The expensive price tag attached to these coveted bladders has even gotten them dubbed as “aquatic cocaine,” according to The Guardian.
Smugglers have been attempting to haul swim bladders over the U.S-Mexico for several years. The DOJ reported arresting a California man in 2013 after investigators found hundreds of Totoaba swim bladders drying out in his home.
Because Totoaba fish are federally protected in the U.S. and Mexico, it's illegal to transport or attempt to sell them.
CBP estimated that the 242 pounds of swim bladders seized on April 13 has an estimated value of $2.7 million.
"This seizure is thought to be the second-largest seizure of its kind in the U.S. and the largest Totoaba seizure in Arizona, to date," CBP wrote in a statement.
Homeland Security officials are still investigating the alleged smuggling attempt.
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