Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has partnered with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to launch last week a pilot Wildlife Confiscations Network in Southern California. Southern California is considered an epicenter for trafficked wildlife, much of it from Asian countries. Criminal networks and syndicates have built illegal wildlife trade into a multi-billion dollar a year criminal enterprise, Ashe said. [1/5]A critically endangered radiated tortoise, who was confiscated in 1998 and named Ninja, is shown eating at the Los Angeles zoo as the U.S. Back at the FWS Office of Law Enforcement, a room holds taxidermied trafficked animals and birds, horns and ivory.

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Persons: Dan Ashe, AZA, Ashe, Moka, San Diego . Speed, Jake Owens, Owens, Braxton, Rene Galindo, Ray Hernandez, Mary Milliken, Jorge Garcia, Sandra Maler Organizations: Los Angeles Zoo, U.S . Fish, Wildlife Service, Association of Zoos, Aquariums, Wildlife Confiscations Network, El Paso , Texas ., Lions, Tigers, Bears, Wildlife Confiscations, LA Zoo, Los Angeles International Airport, LAX, CITES, FWS, Law, Thomson Locations: Bali, U.S, Southern California, Miami, El Paso , Texas, El Paso , Texas . Southern California, Bengal, Mexico, California, San Diego ., Los Angeles, Los, LAX