LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas officials said on Friday that a Mabelvale woman had her plea and arraignment hearing on Friday for allegedly smuggling clams into the U.S.
Officials said 52-year-old Yanci Lissbeth Amaya Aguiluz was indicted on July 8 on two counts of smuggling more than a dozen clams into the U.S. on two occasions. She entered a not-guilty plea at the Friday hearing and was assigned an Aug. 31 trial date.
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According to the indictment, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) began investigating Aguiluz in July 2025 after being notified by the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH). ADH officials alleged Aguiluz possessed and sold blood clams, imported from El Salvador.
Health officials had previously sent Aguiluz a notice concerning an attempt to import and sell the clams, officials said. Investigators allege she later smuggled the shellfish into the U.S. and marketed them through social media and at events in central Arkansas.
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Federal authorities say importing clams from El Salvador is prohibited because the country is not included on the FDA’s Interstate Certified Shellfish Shippers List, which identifies approved shellfish dealers authorized to distribute products within the United States. Because shellfish filter water as they feed, U.S. regulations limit imports to areas that meet strict water quality standards…