A man was arrested for trying to smuggle 52 live reptiles into the US.
Border authorities in the US recently discovered a man trying to enter the country with 52 live reptiles hidden under his clothes. The man arrived at the San Ysidro border crossing with Mexico on Feb. 25, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a press release on Tuesday. He was driving a truck that customs officials stopped for further inspection.
“The incident took place at approximately 3 a.m. on Feb. 25, when CBP officers encountered a 30-year-old male U.S. citizen, driving a 2018 GMC truck and arriving at the San Ysidro border crossing,” the U.S. revealed. customs and border protection.
A personal search by the nameless man yielded a slippery surprise. Border authorities discovered 52 live reptiles hidden in “the man’s jacket, pockets and groin area”. The reptiles — including 43 horned lizards and nine snakes — were found hidden in small bags.
“Smugglers will try every possible means to get their product, or in this case live reptiles, across the border,” said Sidney Aki, CBP Director of Field Operations in San Diego. “On this occasion, the smuggler tried to trick CBP agents into bringing these animals to the US without caring for the health and safety of the animals.”
The man was arrested at the scene for smuggling live reptiles, while his vehicle and the animals were seized. He was later transported and booked into the Metropolitan Correctional Center.
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