According to her website, Gonzalez's bags are handcrafted in her native Cali by a team of artisans.
The site says her bags are sold at over 300 luxury retailers, including Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Harrod’s and Tsum.
Her designs were also featured in an exhibition by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Among Gonzalez's famous clients are Salma Hayek, Britney Spears and Victoria Beckham, according to specialized portals.
According to the Florida indictment, the animals that provided the skins were not on the CITES endangered list but fell under a category of species "that had to be controlled in order to avoid utilization incompatible with survival."
This means that trade in products obtained from such an animal required a permit, which Gonzalez allegedly failed to obtain.
Elmer Montana, a lawyer for one of Gonzalez's employees, told AFP that the skins used to make the bags were "obtained by Nancy Gonzalez... from certified farms which are supervised by the Ministry of the Environment.
"These are not skins that she buys on the black market" in one of the world's most biodiverse countries, where reptile trafficking is rife.
Footage released by the Colombian prosecutor's office showed the glamorous businesswoman led away in handcuffs after a raid on her luxury home in Cali last week.
A court must now decide on her extradition to the United States, a process that can take weeks or even months, according to defense lawyers.
A judge had denied Gonzalez's request for bail pending a ruling.
Source: AFP
