Fashion designer Nancy Gonzalez, the 71-year-old founder of Gzuniga, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to smuggling crocodile handbags into the U.S. from her native Colombia. Gonzalez, whose luxury handbags were used by celebrities like Salma Hayek and Britney Spears, was arrested in 2022 and extradited to the U.S. on charges of illegally importing merchandise made from caiman and python skin. The Justice Department stated that the products were sold to high-end retailers in New York City after being smuggled into the country by friends, relatives, and employees of her Colombian manufacturing business. Gonzalez's lawyers argued that only 1% of the products lacked proper authorization and were samples for events like New York Fashion Week. Despite this, prosecutors estimated that she smuggled goods worth up to $2 million into the U.S. The judge, Robert Scola, took into account the time Gonzalez spent in a Colombian prison awaiting extradition but noted that her conduct was “egregious” given warnings from U.S. officials in 2016 and 2017. Gonzalez tearfully apologized to the court, expressing regret for not adhering to U.S. laws and stating her desire to hug her 103-year-old mother one more time. The prosecution argued that Gonzalez led a lavish lifestyle compared to the couriers she recruited, likening her behavior to that of drug traffickers. Despite her attorneys' plea for leniency, Gonzalez will have to surrender on June 6 to begin her sentence.