( CNN ) -- The message is simple : stop wildlife trafficking . And to highlight it , the United States destroyed tons of elephant ivory it has seized over the years -- and will pay out $ 1 million to make sure it does n't happen again . Hours before the destruction of the stockpile in Colorado Thursday , Secretary of State John Kerry announced the reward money to help dismantle elephant and rhino trafficking syndicates . It 's the first time the United States has offered such a reward , he said . Kerry said the bounty will target the Xaysavang Network , a wildlife trafficking syndicate based in Laos , which has affiliates in South Africa , Mozambique , Thailand , Malaysia , Vietnam and China . `` The involvement of sophisticated transnational criminal organizations in wildlife trafficking perpetuates corruption , threatens the rule of law and border security in fragile regions , and destabilizes communities that depend on wildlife for biodiversity and eco-tourism , '' Kerry said . Profits from animal trafficking are between $ 8 billion to $ 10 billion a year , most of which are used to fund narcotics and human trafficking , according to Kerry . Commercial ivory trade was banned in the United States in 1989 . The crushing of the six-ton stockpile of elephant ivory near Denver is the first time the U.S. has destroyed such large quantities . The ivory was seized and maintained as evidence until court trials were completed . Once the cases were concluded , some of it was used for training law enforcement officers . `` Over the past 25 years , we have accumulated far more elephant ivory than we can use for these purposes , and decided to destroy this material as a demonstration of our commitment to combating wildlife trafficking , '' the U.S . Fish and Wildlife Service said . `` We want to send a clear message that the United States will not tolerate ivory trafficking and the toll it is taking on elephant populations , particularly in Africa . '' The illegal ivory trade has doubled worldwide since 2007 , with the United States the second-largest retail market for illegally acquired ivory . China is the largest market . Poaching of the rhino horn is also a lucrative industry . Much of the loot is sold to the affluent in Asia , where some believe the horns cure a series of ills , including cancer and hangovers , and can boost virility . Last year alone , about 745 rhinos were poached throughout Africa -- the highest number in two decades . Some rhinoceros subspecies have been declared extinct . Conservation groups say the recent surge in the illicit ivory trade has resulted in the killing of 30,000 African elephants annually in recent years . Other nations including the Philippines , Kenya and Gabon have destroyed large quantities of ivory in recent years .
NEW : It 's the first time the government has offered such a reward , John McCain says . NEW : In response to the reward , Colorado wildlife activists destroyed six tons of elephant ivory . NEW : The United States is the second - largest retail market for illegally acquired ivory , after China . Profits from wildlife trafficking are between $ 5 billion to $ 10 billion a year .