U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at two Southern California ports of entry recently encountered some truly unusual cargo: live birds concealed in bizarre ways.
In two separate incidents at Otay Mesa and San Ysidro, agents discovered a total of 28 parrots and three chickens during suspected smuggling attempts.
The first incident unfolded on April 30 at the Otay Mesa port of entry. After the 51-year-old driver exited his vehicle, officers noticed peculiar bulges around his ankles. A safety pat-down revealed a shocking discovery: six live, undeclared parrots crammed inside the man’s boots, according to a CBP release.
A further search of the vehicle uncovered six additional parrots, sadly, two of which had died.
Just days later, on May 4, at the San Ysidro port of entry, inspectors became suspicious of a blanket moving in the trunk of a vehicle driven by a 26-year-old man. Upon inspection, they found two cages: one holding 16 live parakeets and the other containing the three live chickens.
The motives behind these attempts to smuggle the birds remain unclear, particularly the logic of trying to conceal live parrots within boots.
The director of field operations emphasized the serious risks associated with bird smuggling, stating, “The smuggling of birds is extremely dangerous. Birds can carry various diseases that pose a threat to our native wildlife and the U.S. agricultural industry, potentially leading to significant economic consequences.”
All surviving birds are currently under quarantine with the U.S. Department of Agriculture for disease screening.
CBP reminds the public that all bird species entering the United States must be properly declared to officers.
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