Man Smuggles More Than 1,700 Reptiles Into U.S.

According to Californian Justice Department, a man faces some serious prison time after attempting to smuggle reptiles into the U.S. Apparently, he’s been doing it for the past five years and just got caught last month. 

30-year-old Jose Manuel Perez, aka Julio Rodriguez, tried smuggling dozens of critters from Mexico into the U.S. and was caught at the border. U.S. federal agents found 60 critters tied up in bags concealed under his clothes. When asked about it, he claimed they “were his pets.” After some investigations, prosecutors found he had been smuggling creatures from Mexico and Hong Kong. 

Recently, Perez received more charges, and so did his sister, Stephany Perez. According to Complex, “Authorities accused the siblings and their co-conspirators of using social media to buy and sell reptiles from January 2016 to February 2022. The animals reportedly included Yucatan box turtles, Mexican beaded lizards, and baby crocodiles—all of which were imported without the required permits.” 

If convicted, both siblings face a maximum five-year prison sentence. However, Jose may face “a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each smuggling count and five years in prison for each wildlife trafficking count,” according to the U.S. Attorney Office Central District of California. He is charged with nine counts of smuggling goods into the county and wildlife trafficking.