The Department of Justice, along with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration, announced the indictment of Yuri Izurieta and Anneri Izurieta, both of Miami, and Naver Trading, Corp., a Miami-based company on one charge of conspiracy to smuggle goods into the United States, and six counts of smuggling goods into the United States. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum of five years imprisonment for the count of conspiracy, and a maximum of twenty years imprisonment for each count of smuggling.

According to the allegations in the indictment, over several years, the Izurietas and Naver Trading, Corp. repeatedly imported shipments of dairy products into the United States. These dairy products were released from the port into the custody of the Izurietas and Naver Trading, Corp., but the defendants were not authorized to sell and distribute the dairy products pending successful completion of an examination by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The indictment alleges that the defendants knew that the FDA was concerned that Naver Trading, Corp.s dairy products were potentially contaminated with harmful bacteria. The indictment also alleges that, in some instances, the defendants actually knew that the dairy products were in fact contaminated. Nonetheless, the defendants allegedly failed to return the merchandise for destruction as required and, on some occasions, even sold and distributed their dairy products.

An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.