SAN JOSE — Hanh Hong Huynh, a 43-year-old South Bay merchant, has been sentenced to three months in jail for her involvement in smuggling fruit from Vietnam that carried a destructive fruit fly. Huynh was convicted in May for conspiring with another individual to illegally import and sell tropical fruit, including langsat. The fruit was found to be heavily infested with larvae of a destructive fruit fly endemic to Southeast Asia.
According to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, Huynh and her co-defendant, 38-year-old Thanh Tuyen Huynh, shipped the fruit from Vietnam and disguised it as dried fish, coffee, or tea to evade agricultural inspection. Thanh Huynh had previously received warnings from officials regarding the contraband produce but continued to advertise and sell the fruit on social media.
The charges against the Huynhs were filed in May 2023 after an investigation conducted by the district attorney’s office and the county division of agriculture, with assistance from the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Thanh Huynh pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge and was sentenced to community service.
This case marks the first felony enforcement of the state Food and Agriculture Code related to the illegal importation of fruit. The smuggling operation posed a significant risk to local agriculture due to the potential spread of the destructive fruit fly.
3 Responses
Do you think a three-month jail sentence is an appropriate punishment for smuggling fruit that carries a destructive fruit fly? Why or why not?
This is absolutely disgusting! How could someone be so careless and selfish to smuggle fruit that carries a destructive fruit fly? Not only is this putting our local agriculture at risk, but it also threatens the livelihoods of hardworking farmers. It’s infuriating to think that someone would prioritize their own profit over the well-being of our environment and economy. This kind of behavior should be met with severe consequences to deter others from engaging in such harmful activities. Shame on Hanh Hong Huynh for her
The post discusses the sentencing of Hanh Hong Huynh, a South Bay merchant, to three months in jail for smuggling fruit from Vietnam that contained a harmful fruit fly. This incident highlights the serious consequences of smuggling and the potential risks it poses to agriculture and ecosystems.
My insight on this matter is that smuggling of agricultural products can have severe consequences on the environment and economy. Invasive species, such as the fruit fly in this case, can cause significant damage to crops, leading to economic losses for