LOS ANGELES (AP) – A California man who smuggled more than 1,700 wild animals into the United States (US), including 60 reptiles hidden in his clothing, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to federal charges.
Jose Manuel Perez, 30, of Oxnard, entered pleas to two counts of smuggling and a charge of wildlife trafficking.
Prosecutors said that from 2016 to this February, Perez and his accomplices smuggled animals from Mexico and Hong Kong.
Most were reptiles and included Yucatan box turtles, baby crocodiles and Mexican beaded lizards, according to a statement from the US Department of Justice (DOJ).
More details on Friday’s Borneo Bulletin