A man attempted to cross the border with dozens of snakes and lizards in bags on his person, some of which were endangered, was arrested.
U.S. border agents discovered a man attempting to smuggle 52 reptiles in his clothing, according to AP News.
According to a recent U.S. Customs and Border Protection statement, the man — a U.S. citizen — was driving a truck and was pulled over for additional inspection after arriving at the San Ysidro border crossing.
The statement said that there were 52 live reptiles — nine snakes and 43 horned lizards — inside small bags, “which were concealed in the man’s jacket, pants pockets, and groin area.”
The authorities stated that some of the reptiles found are endangered, and the 30-year-old man was arrested.
“Smugglers will try every possible way to try and get their product, or in this case live reptiles, across the border,” said Sidney Aki, Customs and Border Protection director of field operations in San Diego.
“In this occasion, the smuggler attempted to deceive CBP officers in order to bring these animals into the US, without taking care for the health and safety of the animals.”
