According to a Nov. 19 release from the U.S. Embassy in Peru, officials from both countries seized 9.3 tons of shark fins in Callao\u00a0in “a significant blow against wildlife trafficking and the illicit economies that plague the region.”<\/p>\n
Callo is a port city near Lima, the country’s capital.<\/p>\n
The U.S. Embassy in Peru did not name the individuals arrested or say whether they were being detained.<\/p>\n
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United States officials on November 19, 2025 announced one of the largest wildlife trafficking operations in Latin American history after Peruvian authorities seized nearly 10,000 individual shark fins destined for China.<\/p>\n
The shipment \u2212 valued by the National Police of Peru at more than $11.2 million on the international market \u2212 included fins from species including blue sharks and thresher sharks.<\/p>\n
The investigation, the release continues, “uncovered a network that bought fish fins from Ecuadorian fishermen and falsely declared them as having been caught in Peruvian waters to facilitate their transit.”<\/p>\n
They were then taken to Callao to be stored until they could be exported to China.<\/p>\n
“This operation demonstrates the direct impact of U.S.-Peru cooperation in combating wildlife trafficking and environmental organized crime, which threaten marine ecosystems, local economies, and regional security,\u201d U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement Deputy Assistant Director Doug Ault said in a statement.<\/p>\n
According to Ault, unregulated, unreported and illegal fishing threatens both the economic and food security of Peru and the U.S., as well as scores of other countries.<\/p>\n
‘Cruel and wasteful practice of shark finning’<\/p>\n
According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, sharks play a critical role in marine conservation.<\/p>\n
“As apex predators, they primarily feed on animals that are sick or abundant, which helps ensure that marine ecosystems remain healthy and resilient,” Ault told USA TODAY via email on Nov. 21. “But this balance is under threat. The cruel and wasteful practice of shark finning \u2212 cutting off fins and discarding the still-living animals back into the sea \u2212 pushes shark populations towards the brink of extinction and jeopardizes marine ecosystems.”<\/p>\n
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund<\/p>\n