2 San Jose women accused of smuggling tropical fruit
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Two women from San Jose are facing felony charges for their alleged involvement in importing tropical fruit, some of which was infested with fruit flies.
Hanh Hong Huynh, 42, and Thanh Tuyen Huynh, aged 36, unrelated to each other, have been charged with conspiracy to import and sell fruit in violation of federal and state agricultural laws, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office.
District Attorney Jeff Rosen said, "This is serious and reckless behavior. If they spread, these flies can destroy crops. This County’s farms and everybody’s food prices are at stake."
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According to officials, imported produce must undergo inspection by agricultural authorities to ensure it is not carrying invasive foreign pests, such as fruit flies.
The offenses occurred in 2022 when the defendants arranged for fruit to be shipped from Vietnam, intentionally mislabeling it as dried fish, coffee, or tea to evade inspection, prosecutors said.
In May 2022, local officials told Thanh Tuyen Huynh to stop the unlawful sale of fruits like langsat, a tropical fruit resembling a large grape.
Nevertheless, she continued advertising on social media and selling the fruit. Some of the seized fruit was found to be heavily infested with larvae from a destructive fruit fly native to Southeast Asia, according to prosecutors.
Additionally, in May 2022, Hanh Huynh sent a relative to a shipping facility in Alameda County to pick up 200 pounds of langsat. The package was addressed to her business, Tracy’s Gift Shop, located in East San Jose, and falsely labeled as dried fish, coffee, and tea. Authorities warned Huynh's relative that the importation was unlawful.