Youngin Back News Today

It has taken suspected succulent smugglers just a few years to yank out out of the ground more than 1.5 million rare plants with a cumulative age of more than 44,000 years. And illegal trade in wild flora and fauna continues to rocket, authorities say.

Byungsu Kim pleaded guilty to attempting to ferry more than 3,700 wild dudleya plants from California parks to South Korea

Smugglers are known to harvest wild, living plants from the ground in Northern California and export them overseas where they are sold on the black market.

Federal authorities say the man had recently searched "poaching succulents" on his smartphone.

Federal authorities say the man had recently searched "poaching succulents" on his smartphone.

Federal authorities say the man had recently searched "poaching succulents" on his smartphone.

Federal authorities say the man had recently searched "poaching succulents" on his smartphone.

Federal authorities say the man had recently searched "poaching succulents" on his smartphone.

The FINANCIAL — A South Korean national was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for attempting to illegally export to Asia live Dudleya succulent plants worth at least $150,000 that he and his co-schemers had pulled out of the ground at remote state parks in Northern California. Byungsu Kim, 46, was sentenced by United States District Judge George H. Wu, who also ordered him to pay $3,985 in restitution to the State of California for expenses related to replanting the stolen plants ...

LOS ANGELES—A South Korean national who was extradited to Los Angeles to face federal charges was sentenced to ...