Woman caught allegedly trying to smuggle shark fins into U.S.

A 54-year-old Mexican woman was caught allegedly attempting to smuggle 29 pounds of shark fins into the U.S. at the San Ysidro border crossing, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Thursday.

Shark fins can fetch more than $2,000 a pound from markets that cater to Chinese communities, where shark fin soup is considered a delicacy. Importation of the fins is illegal under both federal and state law.

The woman was cited Wednesday and her visa was confiscated before she was returned to Mexico. The shark fins were seized by agents of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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Photo: Shark fin seized at U.S. border. Credit: U.S. Customs and Border Protection.