Earlier quoted context omitted.
That sounds like the lobster seller was charged under the notoriously broad Lacy Act, which I have heard most often in arguments that is is impossible to be cognizant of everything that is illegal in the US, since this law roughly imports foreign laws. My understanding is it makes it a federal crime to trade in wildlife or plants that are illegal under the laws of a state, a Native American tribe, or any foreign law.…
And not just living plants, but also (quite dead) wood and products derived from wood, apparently especially if the CEO donated to the opposing political party (the GOP): https://humanevents.com/2014/05/30/the-true-villains-behind-...
The CEO of Gibson knew that he was illegally importing wood, and did it anyway. His comparatively tiny donations to the GOP were irrelevant.