PITTSBURGH — A Pittsburgh man is accused of trafficking the endangered and invasive fish.
Anthony Nguyen, 48 of Pittsburgh, is charged with trafficking endangered Asian arowana and invasive snakehead fish. Investigators said Nguyen owned and operated a business selling rare and exotic freshwater tropical fish.
Nguyen, also known as Jackie Lee and JoJo Nguyen, is accused of violating the Lacey Act in 2016 when he sold illegally imported Asian arowana. The fish are native to Southeast Asia and are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Arowana, also known as “dragon fish,” are highly sought-after and sell for tens of thousands of dollars.
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Nguyen was also charged under the Lacey Act for selling invasive injurious snakehead fish in 2019. He’s also accused of falsifying documents related to the snakehead shipment. Snakeheads are native to Asia, but have been introduced into freshwater habitats in the U.S.
“Snakeheads present a serious risk to our native ecosystems,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jonathan D. Brightbill for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “These fish are prohibited for a reason. They are voracious predators, can live out of water for days, can move across land, and can wipe out the native species that inhabit freshwaters of the United States.”
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