Authorities said Tuesday that a guy who tried to walk past US border guards in California had 52 lizards and snakes hidden in his trousers.
When the man arrived on the scene at the San Ysidro border crossing with Mexico on February 25, he was driving a truck and was pulled aside for further screening, according to US Customs and Border Protection.
Agents discovered 52 live reptiles in little pouches hidden in the man’s jacket, pants pockets, and groin area, according to the statement.
There were nine snakes and 43 horned lizards seized. Authorities claim that several of the species are endangered.
Sidney Aki, director of field operations for Customs and Border Protection in San Diego stated, “Smugglers will use any and all means feasible to smuggle their merchandise, in this case live reptiles, across the border.”
The smuggler attempted to deceive CBP agents in order to transport these animals into the United States without regard for the animals’ health and safety.
The individual, a 30-year-old American citizen, was taken into custody. The agency stated that the live reptiles would be kept in quarantine.
Last month, the United States of America (US) At a border crossing in San Diego, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered nearly 1,200 tiny sachets of meth disguised behind a cargo of onions. The meth bundles were formed into little globes with a white covering to blend in with the onions they were smuggled in with.
