A California man, Michael Hart, has been captured and accused in what is believed to be the first case of smuggling potent greenhouse gases from Mexico into the United States, according to CNN.
The US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California confirmed that Hart, 58, of San Diego, pleaded not guilty in a federal court hearing on Monday.
Hart is accused of smuggling hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are commonly used in air conditioning and refrigeration, and then reselling them for profit.
According to the accusation, he obtained the HFCs in Mexico and brought them across the border in his truck, hiding them under a tarp and tools. These gases were then allegedly sold for a profit on numerous platforms, including Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division stressed the illegality of importing particular refrigerants into the United States owing to their significant contribution to climate change. Hart’s activities, as described in the allegations, are viewed as hurting global efforts to tackle climate change.
