A man pleaded guilty in connection with a West Texas ring that smuggled rare living rock cacti, a plant that wildlife officials say are a protected species.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas says Harry George Bock II, of El Paso, pleaded guilty Tuesday before a U.S. magistrate judge in Pecos to one count of mislabeling exports in a scheme to ship cacti overseas.
MORE
Awright, I thought this was going to be a Peyote post, but it went somewhere else.
ReplyDeleteSucculents poaching is a lucrative business, there is too much park land and not enough rangers, so its pretty easy pickings. An Ariocarpus Fissarus is worth several hundred dollars, being so slow growing. Since this is a "living stone" it is probably Ariocarpus spp, rather than lithops or Lophoporia.
ReplyDeleteI grow cactus and succulents for a living. Trichocereus genus a big money maker if you grow the right varieties. A small plant will produce 1-3' per year and its $15-$50 per foot, depending on the variety, season, etc. Grow several hundred of them and its a good income.
They caught some guy a few years ago in Fla stealing Ghost Orchids from the swamp. I've had one for 30 yrs that I bought from a guy in Florida.
ReplyDeleteHey, ya think some overseas-olgarch will pay big for Prickly-pear?
ReplyDelete