Malaysian kingpin Anson Wong emerges as the shadowy force at the center of the global reptile trade, operating an elusive international network. As U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents intensify their pursuit, agent George Morrison goes undercover in a high-risk attempt to penetrate Wong's inner circle and bring down one of the most powerful and sophisticated traffickers in the world. However, the outcome proves far from expected.

Fresh out of prison, Tommy Crutchfield re-emerges during a new era of high-end, ostensibly legal reptile dealing – the breeding of genetically modified rare animals that can command enormous prices. As the lure of illegal smuggling proves too great, U.S. authorities launch "Operation Chameleon" and uncover a vast trafficking network that entangles dealers and major zoos institutions in the global wildlife trade.

Ray's son Mike Van Nostrand attempts to legitimize and capitalize on the family business by building a massive import and export empire that turns reptiles into a booming global commodity. But when his father re-enters the picture, Ray pulls Mike back into illicit trade and ups the stakes, this time involving even more exotic creatures and dangerous international dealer Anson Wong.

Florida reptile dealer Ray Van Nostrand enters the fray and takes the trade business into the dark underworld of Miami drug smuggling and gun running with his connection to known cocaine cowboy Mario Tabraue. As the operation grows more dangerous and complex, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) begins closing in to bring the operation down.

The obsessive "fever" to own rare and dangerous animals sends the illegal reptile trade increasingly underground, fueling a dark, billion-dollar smuggling industry populated by notorious and ruthless dealers. The story begins with a fierce rivalry between reptile dealers Hank Molt and Tommy Crutchfield, whose animosity escalates to a macabre iguana trafficking case, as early efforts of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service pursuit begins to take shape.