Chinese shipper guilty of illegal rhino horn imports

   Shusen Wei, 45, a citizen of China, pleaded guilty Friday in Miami federal court to charges stemming from his involvement in the smuggling of a carved rhinoceros horn from the United States to China, the U.S. Justice Department said.
   Wei entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga, who scheduled sentencing for April 29. Wei faces up to 10 years in prison and fine of up to $250,000, in addition to a term of supervised release of up to three years.
   According to documents filed in Court, Wei traveled from China to Miami in January to attend the Original Miami Beach Antique Show. While attending the show, he roomed with another Chinese national who was later arrested for smuggling of rhinoceros horns from the United States to China.
   In pleading guilty, Wei admitted he paid commissions to the other Chinese national to buy objects made of rhino horn in the United States and smuggle them to China and that he knew this individual was engaged in the smuggling of protected species of wildlife, including rhinoceros horn and elephant ivory. Wei also knew that the individual had paid bribes to Chinese customs officials to assist in his smuggling. 
   U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agents learned that Wei had previously purchased libation cups made from carved rhinoceros horns from this same individual. One of those items was sold at a U.S. auction house for $242,500. This and other photographs of carved rhinoceros horns were found on Wei’s cell phone.
   All rhinoceros species are protected under U.S. and international law, and all black rhinoceros species are endangered. Since 1976, trade in rhinoceros horn has been regulated under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a treaty signed by 178 countries around the world to protect fish, wildlife and plants that are or may become imperiled due to the demands of international markets.
   Nevertheless, the Justice Department said demand for rhinoceros horn and black market prices have “skyrocketed in recent years due to the value that some cultures have placed on ornamental carvings, good luck charms or alleged medicinal purposes, leading to a decimation of the global rhinoceros population.”