Fashion designer Nancy Gonzalez was sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia into the U.S. She was arrested in 2022 and extradited to face charges of running a multiyear conspiracy to transport her high-end handbags on commercial flights to showrooms and fashion events in violation of U.S. wildlife laws. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-Fitzgerald likened her behavior to that of drug traffickers, emphasizing that it was all driven by money.
Despite pleas for leniency from her lawyers, who highlighted her rise from a single mother in Cali to a fashion icon who could compete with top designers, the government pointed out the stark difference between Gonzalez’s lavish lifestyle and the couriers she recruited to smuggle her merchandise. Her former employees testified that she would micro-manage the smuggling of goods worth up to $2 million into the U.S. by recruiting passengers to carry designer handbags on flights. Although the hides were sourced from captive caiman and pythons, Gonzalez sometimes failed to obtain the proper import authorizations.
In 2016 and 2017, Gonzalez was warned by U.S. officials about avoiding rules governing the trade in threatened and endangered wildlife species. Judge Robert Scola described her conduct as particularly “egregious” due to her disregard for these warnings. While the skins used by Gonzalez were not prohibited, they came from protected wildlife that required close monitoring under the CITES treaty. Gonzalez expressed deep regret in court for not following U.S. laws meticulously and acknowledged her poor decisions under pressure.
Gonzalez’s lawyers portrayed her as a determined woman who wanted to show her children and the world that minority women like herself could pursue their dreams and achieve financial independence. They presented a video from 2019 where top buyers praised her creativity and productivity. Despite her humble beginnings, Gonzalez managed to create the first luxury fashion company from a third-world country. However, prosecutors emphasized the stark contrast between her opulent lifestyle and the individuals she recruited to assist in smuggling her handbags into the U.S.
Speaking in court before her sentencing, Gonzalez expressed her regret for not following U.S. laws properly and stated that her only wish was to hug her 103-year-old mother once more. She apologized to the United States and acknowledged that she never intended to offend a country to which she owed immense gratitude. Gonzalez attributed her poor decisions to being under pressure. Ultimately, the judge handed down an 18-month prison sentence for her involvement in smuggling crocodile handbags into the country in violation of wildlife laws.
