NEW YORK ( CNN ) -- U.S. authorities arrested six people Wednesday on suspicion of smuggling African elephant ivory worth hundreds of thousands of dollars , law enforcement officials said . Imports of African elephant ivory have been banned in the United States since 1976 . The defendants arranged to have ivory from Cameroon , Ivory Coast and Uganda shipped into the United States disguised as wooden snakes , guitars and statues , authorities said . `` The defendants plundered precious natural resources for personal profit , '' U.S. Attorney Benton J. Campbell and other officials said in a statement . `` Their illegal trade threatens the continued existence of an endangered species and will not be tolerated . '' Federal agents tracked at least eight shipments , including one worth an estimated $ 165,000 . Federal agents used surveillance and shipping , phone and bank records to track the suspect shipments . Arrests were made in New York , New Jersey , Virginia and Texas . The U.S . Fish and Wildlife Service and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement division of the Department of Homeland Security were involved in the law enforcement operation . One suspect told an undercover federal agent during a purchase that it was difficult to bring ivory into the United States , but easy to sell it at high prices , the government statement said . Two other suspects also are accused of paying a courier $ 15,000 to bring a shipment of ivory from Cameroon into the United States . The U.S. banned ivory imports in 1976 , and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora effectively outlawed trade in elephant tissue in 1989 . Illegal trade in African elephant ivory is considered to be a major cause of the continuing decline of elephant populations in Africa . The defendants are expected to appear in court in New York on Wednesday . They face jail terms of up to 20 years if convicted .
Six in four states face federal smuggling charges , U.S. attorney says . Ivory reportedly disguised as wooden snakes , guitars and statues . Elephant ivory trade illegal in U.S. since 1976 , worldwide since 1989 .