"Ricardo Alonzo was sentenced to three months in prison for smuggling 17 birds - two red-lored Amazon parrots, five yellow-crowned Amazon parrots and 10 Burrowing parakeets - into the U.S. without quarantining them to prevent the spread of disease."
"Carlos Abundez was ordered to pay $74,330 for smuggling 14 sedated keel-billed toucans in the dashboard of his Volkswagen Passat, with some birds suffering injuries, including broken tails and a broken leg."
"The two cases provide the latest glimpse into a persistent problem plaguing the border: exotic birds - many native to Mexico or Latin America - being squirreled away deep inside vehicles or even a suspect's clothing."
Two San Diego men were sentenced for smuggling endangered birds into the U.S. Ricardo Alonzo received three months in prison for smuggling 17 birds without proper quarantine. Carlos Abundez was fined $74,330 for smuggling 14 sedated toucans in his car's dashboard, with some birds suffering injuries. These cases illustrate a persistent problem of exotic bird smuggling at the U.S.-Mexico border, driven by the popularity of these species as pets and the associated risks of disease transmission and species endangerment.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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