To Mark A. Morgan, head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection:

I was shocked to learn that thousands of pounds of meat of illicitly caught wildlife is smuggled into the United States every year, undetected by customs officers. Much of it arrives in cargo shipments.

The illegal import of ape meat can trigger outbreaks of Ebola and other deadly diseases in the U.S.

The rapidly expanding bushmeat industry is horrifically inhumane and inadequate law enforcement allows it to continue to grow.

Much of this meat is from endangered species such as chimpanzees and gorillas which may become extinct in our lifetime if the trafficking of wildlife meat is allowed to continue.

I respectfully urge you to increase the efforts of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to identify and confiscate shipments containing bushmeat, in order to keep us safe from lethal diseases, protect our nearest relatives from extinction, and help put a stop to the vicious and illegal global trade in wildlife meat.