Sedated, injured, even dead: Exotic bird smuggling cases underscore a problem at the border - BERITAJA

Two San Diego men person been sentenced for smuggling susceptible birds into the United States, pinch 1 heading to situation and the different getting deed pinch thousands successful fines.

Ricardo Alonzo was sentenced to 3 months successful situation for smuggling 17 birds — 2 red-lored Amazon parrots, 5 yellow-crowned Amazon parrots and 10 Burrowing parakeets — into the U.S. without quarantining them to forestall the dispersed of disease, officials pinch the national Department of Justice said successful a news release.

In a 2nd case, a national judge ordered San Ysidro resident Carlos Abundez to salary $74,330 for smuggling 14 sedated keel-billed toucans in the dashboard of his Volkswagen Passat, the authorities said. Some of the birds suffered injuries, including surgery tails and a surgery leg.

The 2 cases supply the latest glimpse into a persistent problem plaguing the border: exotic birds — galore autochthonal to Mexico aliases Latin America — being squirreled distant heavy wrong vehicles aliases moreover a suspect’s clothing.

(United States District Court Southern District of California )

The 2 cases supply the latest glimpse into a persistent problem plaguing the border: exotic birds — galore autochthonal to Mexico aliases Latin America — being squirreled distant heavy wrong vehicles aliases moreover a suspect’s clothing.

In October, a Tijuana man was indicted aft officers recovered 2 emaciated and perchance sedated orange-fronted parakeets stuffed successful his underwear. In June, a 24-year-old was detained aft officers recovered seven Amazon parrots successful a cardboard container connected his rider floorboard. Two months earlier that, authorities arrested a man aft concluding he had smuggled six birds successful his boots and six much successful his car — 2 of them dead.

Lawyers for Alonzo and Abundez did not instantly respond to requests for comment.

Mike Parr, president of the American Bird Conservancy, a nonprofit devoted to the conservation of vertebrate habitat, said he is not amazed by immoderate of the birds being trafficked. Captive parrots person go habituated to humans and celebrated pinch pet owners, he said.

“They’re decorative. They make bully pets. They talk. People conscionable person an affinity for parrots,” said Parr, who besides co-wrote “Parrots: A Guide to Parrots of the World.”

Alonzo was arrested successful May astatine the San Ysidro Port of Entry. Investigators recovered bags nether the rear spot of his 2015 Dodge Durango containing the 17 birds, arsenic good arsenic 3 chickens, which were utilized arsenic decoys to “conceal the protected parakeets and parrots from discovery by separator officials,” according to his plea agreement.

Many of the birds were highly young. The 2 red-lored Amazon parrots died “as a consequence of the difficult journey,” the plea statement said.

All 3 type of birds successful Alonzo’s car were protected and listed arsenic portion of the Convention connected International Trade successful Endangered Species, prosecutors said. The surviving parrots and parakeets were sent to the Bronx Zoo, the statement said.

Doug Ault, adjunct head of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement, said Alonzo’s actions undermined efforts to protect susceptible vertebrate populations, while besides bypassing laws aimed astatine preventing “the introduction of zoonotic diseases and different pathogens into the U.S.”

“This suspect utilized forbidden smuggling practices that disregarded the laws of the United States, the lives of the birds he was smuggling, and wildlife wrong the United States,” Southern District of California U.S. Atty. Adam Gordon said successful a statement.

In his plea agreement, Alonzo admitted earning $40,000 for the waste of the birds. As portion of his sentencing, he was ordered to salary the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service $3,262 to screen the attraction and quarantine of the parakeets.

Abundez, the different defendant, was apprehended successful June 2025 astatine the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. According to his plea agreement, he told the authorities he was heading to McDonald’s and had thing to declare.

During a search, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection serviceman recovered the 14 bound and sedated keel-billed toucans, including 1 duct taped nether the car’s dashboard.

Abundez was sentenced March 3.

His costs of $74,330 will spell into the Lacey Act Reward Fund, which compensates tipsters who study wildlife crimes, national authorities said.