You Won't Believe What This Smuggler Was Caught Trying to Sneak Into the United States

A Mexican national is facing federal charges for trying to smuggle exotic birds into the United States. 

Reportedly, the smuggler, Naim Lajud Libien, a Mexican citizen, tried to bring a dozen parakeets inside of his boots and inside the seats of his car through the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in California on April 29.

Two of the birds were discovered dead and one appeared to have a broken neck, the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California said. 

This unfolded when Lajud Libien was diverted to “secondary inspection” at the border checkpoint where a US Customs and Border Protection officer noticed that his pants looked strange near the ankles. There, the officer discovered birds wrapped in nylon stockings inside his boots. 

Officers also heard birds “crying” in his vehicle. This is where the two deceased birds and the bird with the broken neck were found. The three others were in very poor health.

The birds were identified as Orange Fronted Parakeets.

“Smuggling at the border takes many forms, but the tragic impact on animals forced into such perilous conditions is deeply troubling,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “We are committed to holding accountable those who endanger wildlife and public health through these reckless and inhumane smuggling practices.”

According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, the maximum penalty is twenty years in custody and a $250,000 fine.