Federal prosecutors said 31-year-old Alejandro Hernandez was arrested in Midland, Texas, and indicted by a grand jury in Laredo.
He's accused in a five-count indictment of smuggling and conspiring to smuggle boots into the United States, illegally selling the boots online, and sending them through the mail.
Officials said he also ran an online store where he advertised selling custom boots made from any animal skin. He allegedly claimed the boots were genuine handmade items from Guanajuato, Mexico.
Investigators said Hernandez sold a pair of boots made from sea turtle skin to a customer in Houston last October.
If convicted, Hernandez faces 20 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.