A 30-year-old US man’s attempt to smuggle 52 reptiles including 43 horned lizards and nine snakes at the San Ysidro border was foiled as Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers nabbed him. The live reptiles were found tied up in small bags and concealed in the man’s jacket, pants pockets, and groin area. He drove a 2018 GMC truck and arrived at the border crossing at 3 am on February 25, as per a press release from US CBP.
The horned lizards and snakes along with the vehicle were seized by the officers. (Source: US CBP/Press release)
CBP officers spotted the reptiles while inspecting the truck. The man was arrested and lodged in Metropolitan Correctional Center.
“Smugglers will try every possible way to try and get their product, or in this case live reptiles, across the border,” Sidney Aki, CBP Director of Field Operations in San Diego was quoted as saying in the press release.
The live reptiles were found tied up in small bags and concealed in the man’s jacket, pants pockets, and groin area. (Source: US CBP/Press release)
“In this occasion, the smuggler attempted to deceive CBP officers in order to bring these animals into the US., without taking care for the health and safety of the animals. CBP enforces hundreds of laws at the border for more than 40 different government agencies, in part to help stop smuggling attempts like these which can lead to trafficking of possibly endangered species,” added Aki.
See reactions:
There should be no market of any kind for exotics. Arrests should extend beyond those caught smuggling to all parts of the supply chain. Buyers should feel a chill . . .
— Mary Monzingo (@dreamingeldress) March 9, 2022
Poor reptiles! They don’t deserve way smugglers try to get them into country. In fact they usually lose 1/3 of reptiles they smuggle bc of way they pack them. This is ridiculous!
— T***pDumpster (@caschmitt) March 9, 2022
Some people get crabs.
This guy got lizards.— OlderButOpen🏳️🌈🇺🇸 🇺🇦 (@HaydenJ81439319) March 9, 2022
The horned lizards and snakes along with the vehicle were seized by the officers. As some species were identified as endangered, the live reptiles have been isolated, the press release further said.
