Aguiluz entered a “not guilty” plea, but faces two counts of alleged clam smuggling.
A Saline County woman could face up to 20 years in federal prison after being charged with illegally smuggling blood clams from El Salvador into the United States. Federal prosecutors allege she then sold the restricted shellfish at local central Arkansas events and across social media platforms. Read more below.
Yanci Lissbeth Amaya Aguiluz, 52, of the Sardis community (aka Mabelvale), appeared Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joe J. Volpe for a plea and arraignment hearing.
Aguiluz, who entered a plea of not guilty, was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 8, 2026, on two counts of smuggling more than three dozen clams on two separate occasions. A federal trial has been scheduled for August 31, 2026.
According to the indictment, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) launched an investigation in July 2025 after receiving a notification from the Arkansas Department of Health. The state health department had previously sent Aguiluz a warning notice regarding her attempts to import and sell the clams.
Investigators allege that Aguiluz promoted and sold the smuggled seafood, along with other foods, out of an address on Chicot Road near West Sawmill Road in Saline County.
The shellfish in question are blood clams (scientific name Anadora tuberculosa). Federal law prohibits shipping clams from El Salvador because the country is not included on the Interstate Certified Shellfish Shippers List (ICSSL). The ICSSL is a registry maintained by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that authorizes specific shellfish dealers to ship products within the country.
Because shellfish are filter feeders that ingest and filter the water they live in, the United States enforces strict water quality standards and only permits imports from certified geographic areas.
Health officials warn that the type of clams Aguiluz is accused of smuggling are known to carry Hepatitis A, Norovirus, and parasites. They can also carry dangerous marine biotoxins, which can lead to paralytic shellfish poisoning. If convicted, Aguiluz faces a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The multi-agency investigation was led by NOAA with assistance from the Environmental Crimes Natural Resource Division, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the FDA, Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, the Arkansas Department of Health, and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Assistant United States Attorney Edward Walker is prosecuting the case. Representatives for the justice system note that an indictment contains only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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