Couple sentenced for trafficking protected wildlife items, including tiger pelt and lion teeth

A couple pleaded guilty to trafficking protected wildlife items, including lion teeth, a tiger pelt and a rhino horn. (Justice Dept. via CNN)
Published: Oct. 27, 2026 at 1:48 AM EDT|Updated: 1 hour ago

(CNN) - A California couple pleaded guilty Friday to trafficking wildlife.

Linh Luu and Kevin Le processed more than $50,000 in payments to help someone in Vietnam illegally move wildlife items to and from Oregon, according to court documents.

The trafficked items included lion teeth, a tiger pelt and a rhino horn. Authorities say the rhino horn was disguised as a household decoration to evade customs.

Lions, tigers and black and white rhinoceroses are protected under the Endangered Species Act.

The couple were sentenced to three years of probation and fined $10,000 each.