Gzuniga Ltd. Founder and Associate Sentenced for Smuggling Luxury Handbags
Miami, FL – In a shocking turn of events, luxury handbag company Gzuniga Ltd. and its founder Nancy Teresa Gonzalez de Barberi have been sentenced for their involvement in smuggling luxury handbags made from protected wildlife into the United States.
The indictment charged Gzuniga, Gonzalez, Giraldo, and Jaramillo with one count of conspiracy and two counts of smuggling for illegally importing designer handbags made from caiman and python skin from February 2016 to April 2019.
Nancy Teresa Gonzalez de Barberi, the founder of Gzuniga Ltd., was sentenced to 18 months in prison with credit for time served, a supervised release of three years, and to pay a special assessment. Mauricio Giraldo, an associate of Gonzalez, was sentenced to time served, approximately 22 months, based on incarceration in Colombia and the United States since his extradition, a year of supervised release, and to pay a special assessment.
Gzuniga Ltd. was ordered to forfeit all handbags and other previously seized products, banned for three years from any activities involving commercial trade in wildlife, and sentenced to serve three years of probation. Giraldo and Jaramillo are Colombian citizens and were extradited to the United States to face the charges brought against them.
The luxury handbags, made from protected caiman and python skin, were brought into the United States by enlisting friends, relatives, and even employees of Gonzalez’s manufacturing company in Colombia. The case highlights the importance of enforcing laws that protect endangered species and the need for robust collaboration with federal and international partners to disrupt illegal wildlife trade networks.
Nancy Teresa Gonzalez de Barberi, Mauricio Giraldo, and Gzuniga Ltd. were all previously charged with one count of conspiracy and two counts of smuggling for their involvement in smuggling luxury handbags made from protected wildlife.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is deeply committed to combatting wildlife trafficking in all its forms and will continue to seek justice for protected species exploited for profit. The investigation uncovered a multi-year scheme that involved paid couriers smuggling undeclared handbags made of CITES-protected reptile skins into the U.S. to be sold for thousands of dollars.
Nancy Teresa Gonzalez de Barberi is a Colombian citizen and the founder of Gzuniga Ltd., a luxury handbag company based in Colombia.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Wildlife Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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