California wildlife officials announced they have dismantled a large underground wildlife trafficking operation in Fresno and Madera counties, after federal agents intercepted a falsely labeled international shipment, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said Friday.
The investigation began after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service intercepted a shipment bound for Fresno. It was from Thailand and falsely labeled, containing four elephant trunks. California wildlife officers then took the lead on the in-state investigation, Nathan Smith, an assistant chief of law enforcement for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, confirmed to SFGATE.
California Fish and Wildlife officers executed simultaneous search warrants on Jan. 7 at multiple locations in Fresno and Madera counties…