Federal monkey smuggling investigation now involves Wilmington's Charles River Labs
WILMINGTON – Charles River Laboratories announced Wednesday the company has been subpoenaed in a years-long investigation by the Department of Justice that involves the smuggling of monkeys.
The company broke the news during an earnings call.
The original case from last year involved long-tail macaques being shipped illegally from Cambodia to Florida. Eight people were charged, including Cambodian-elected officials.
Charles River Laboratories is a middleman of sorts, connecting non-human primates - or animals - to companies for testing for medicines or treatment.
As an extension of that original DOJ investigation, Charles River Labs was notified last week they had been subpoenaed for information related to the case.
"We are fully cooperating with the U.S. government as part of their investigation and believe that any concerns raised with respect to Charles River are without merit," the company said in a statement.
On an earnings call Wednesday, the company said they have voluntarily suspended all future Cambodian shipments and pledged to continue caring for existing animals already in the United States.
Charles River Labs stock plummeted Wednesday amid the news.
In a statement, the company said it was looking forward to "restoring this important supply chain because the U.S. biopharmaceutical industry and the patients who need new treatments and cures are counting on us."
Animal rights organizations like PETA say if Charles River Labs participated in the illegal trafficking of animals, they should have their license revoked.
The company is not facing charges, only subpoenaed.