In just one month, nearly 30,000 live animals were rescued from the global illegal wildlife trade — including primates, big cats, birds, turtles, and endangered reptiles.

That number, reported by Interpol as part of Operation Thunder 2025, is horrifying on its own. But it’s only the tip of the iceberg.

Among the most disturbing details:

• At a U.S. mail center, authorities intercepted more than 1,300 primate body parts, including skulls and bones.
• Dozens of shipments of exotic insects and butterflies, sent from Europe, were also caught en route to U.S. buyers.
• And globally, officials seized 7 tons of pangolin meat and scales — from a species already on the brink.

Wildlife trafficking isn’t just an international crisis. It’s a U.S. problem, too. And right now, our laws aren’t doing enough to stop it.

Criminal networks use U.S. shipping systems and online platforms to profit off endangered species. The penalties are often too weak, enforcement is underfunded, and inspection efforts at international mail hubs aren’t keeping up with the volume of smuggled wildlife.

We’re calling on Congress to take immediate action by:

• Increasing federal funding for U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service inspectors at ports, mail centers, and customs hubs
• Strengthening penalties under the Lacey Act and Endangered Species Act for trafficking endangered animals
• Requiring online marketplaces to block and report listings that facilitate wildlife crime
• Expanding support for international operations like Operation Thunder year-round.

Wildlife trafficking is worth more than $20 billion a year. That’s money flowing through criminal networks — and it’s costing the planet species we can’t afford to lose.

Add your name to demand stronger U.S. laws to shut down the wildlife trafficking pipeline — before it’s too late.