Technology Slice Blog

Man Admits Mailing Hundreds of Tarantulas - A German national who shipped hundreds of live tarantulas into the United States through the mail pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a federal smuggling charge, prosecutors said. In pleading guilty, 37-year-old Sven Koppler admitted mailing some 247 live tarantulas to federal agents in Los Angeles, who were posing as buyers as part of an investigation dubbed "Operation Spiderman." Koppler further admitted sending the agents 22 Mexican red-kneed tarantulas, a species of spider formally known as Brachypelma smithi that is protected under an international treaty. Man Admits Mailing Hundreds of Tarantulas Koppler, who lives in Wachtberg, Germany, faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on April 11, U.S. Attorney's spokesman Thom Mrozek said. Authorities say the investigation into Koppler began in March, when a routine inspection turned up about 300 live tarantulas in a package he mailed to Los Angeles...