SAN JOSE – Two women from San Jose are facing felony charges after they were allegedly involved in a scheme to illegally import and sell tropical fruit from Vietnam, some of which were infested with fruit flies.
Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen's office said 42-year-old Hanh Hong Huynh and 36-year-old Thanh Tuyen Huynh, who are unrelated, have been charged with conspiracy to import and sell fruit in violation of state and federal agricultural laws.
Last year, the pair arranged for the fruit to be shipped from Vietnam and misidentified the items as dried fish, coffee or tea to avoid inspection, prosecutors said. The illegal items included langsat or lanzones, which are tropical fruit in the shape of a large grape.
Prosecutors said Thanh Huynh ignored calls by local officials in May 2022 to stop selling illegal fruit.
"Yet, she continued to advertise on social media and sell the fruit, some of which was seized, tested, and found to be heavily infested with the larvae of a destructive fruit fly endemic to Southeast Asia," the DA's office said in a statement.
Hanh Huynh is accused of sending a relative to a shipping facility in Alameda County to pick up 200 pounds of langsat, which was disguised as dried fish, coffee and tea. Prosecutors said the shipment was addressed to her business, a gift shop in East San Jose.
Officials warned the relative that the importation violated the law, according prosecutors. The fruit was destroyed.
"This is serious and reckless behavior," District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. "If they spread, these flies can destroy crops. This County's farms and everybody's food prices are at stake."
Prosecutors said Hanh Huynh was arraigned on August 4. Thanh Huynh is expected to be arraigned on September 8.
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