Yanci Lissbeth Amaya Aguiluz appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joe J. Volpe for plea and arraignment after being charged with illegally smuggling clams into the United States, according to a July 31 statement. Aguiluz, 52, of Mabelvale, was indicted on July 8 on two counts of smuggling more than three dozen clams into the country on two different occasions. She entered a plea of not guilty to the charges in the indictment, and trial is scheduled for August 31.
The indictment alleges that after receiving notification from the Arkansas Department of Health in July 2025, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration launched an investigation into Aguiluz’s alleged illegal possession and sale of blood clams (Anadora tuberculosa) originating from El Salvador. The Arkansas Department of Health sent Aguiluz a notice regarding her attempt to import and sell these clams. Investigators further allege that after smuggling them into the United States, Aguiluz sold them through a social media platform at local events in central Arkansas.
Shipping clams from El Salvador is prohibited because El Salvador is not listed on the Interstate Certified Shellfish Shippers List (ICSSL), which is maintained by the Food and Drug Administration and identifies shellfish dealers authorized to ship within the United States. The United States accepts shellfish only from certain geographic areas meeting high water quality standards due to health concerns associated with filter feeders like clams. Blood clams are known for carrying Hepatitis A, Norovirus, parasites, and can carry marine biotoxins such as paralytic shellfish poisoning.
If convicted, Aguiluz faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The case was investigated by NOAA with assistance from several agencies including Environmental Crimes Natural Resource Division, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Customs & Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, Arkansas Department of Health, and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission; it is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward Walker.
An indictment contains only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas prosecutes federal crimes—including cases like this one—manages civil litigation for the United States across its primary office at 425 West Capitol Avenue in Little Rock, promotes community safety through victim assistance efforts across its jurisdiction covering 41 counties organized into Northern, Central and Delta divisions as part of the U.S. Department of Justice, according to its official website.