A man who tried to smuggle a dozen birds through the Otay Mesa Port of Entry was sentenced Monday.
Mexican citizen Lajud Libien hid 12 orange-fronted parakeets, a protected species, in his boots and inside the seat of his car last April, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. At least two of the birds died.
Prosecutors said Libien was sent to secondary inspection as he tried to cross the U.S.-Mexico border.
A Border Patrol officer saw bulges around Libien’s ankles and later discovered three birds wrapped in panty hose within each of his boots, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. The birds were tied at their feet, according to prosecutors, which may have caused injuries to some of the parakeets.
A Mexican citizen is facing federal charges, accused of smuggling a dozen parakeets into the U.S. at Otay Mesa. The U.S. Attorney’s Office says Lajud Libien hid 12 orange-fronted parakeets in a car seat and his boots.
Other birds were allegedly heard crying inside Libien’s impounded Jeep Grand Cherokee and upon dismantling the vehicle, six more parakeets — also wrapped in panty hose and tied — were found inside a seat cushion.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the animals should have been quarantined before entering the U.S., a requirement aimed at preventing the transmission of diseases like avian flu.
“Smuggling at the border takes many forms, but the tragic impact on animals forced into such perilous conditions is deeply troubling,” said San Diego U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon in a statement in April. “We are committed to holding accountable those who endanger wildlife and public health through these reckless and inhumane smuggling practices.”
Libien pleaded guilty to federal crimes. His sentence includes three years of supervised release, and he must pay $2,300 in restitution.