Two arrested in alleged longtime exotic reptile smuggling operation
Prosecutors say the pair made tens of thousands of dollars while moving protected reptiles across the border, with 60 lizards and other animals seized.
- On Tuesday, federal authorities charged Georgina Bribiesca Chavez and Salvador Pelayo with cross-border wildlife trafficking. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested Chavez last week at the San Ysidro Port of Entry after discovering nearly 70 reptiles hidden in her vehicle.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigators began an 18-month probe into the trafficking ring starting in 2023. Agents conducted multiple undercover purchases of protected Mexican box turtles to dismantle the operation allegedly run by the pair.
- Officers discovered a hidden compartment containing 60 abronia lizards, four venomous palm pit vipers, three caimans, one baby crocodile, and an indigo snake. Three caimans died after the reptiles sat in the vehicle for nearly 24 hours, while survivors received San Diego Zoo care.
- Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to Lacey Act charges, each facing a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Magistrate Judge Jill L. Burkhardt ordered Chavez held without bond in San Diego federal court.
- Chavez's preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 27, while Pelayo is set to appear before District Judge Cathy A. Bencivengo on October 2. These upcoming dates will determine the trajectory of the federal prosecution.
11 Articles
11 Articles
The arrest at a key crossing between the two countries revealed an 18-month investigation into clandestine trade in exotic fauna and specimens under protection
New York Post
Fox News69 live animals found stuffed in pillowcases in hidden car compartment after border arrest: Feds
Georgina Bribiesca Chavez, 66, was arrested at the border after feds found 69 live animals, including vipers and caimans, hidden in her car.
California Border Bust Bags 69 Rare Reptiles Stuffed In Pillowcases - Tampa Free Press
Federal authorities have charged two people in an alleged cross-border wildlife trafficking scheme that moved protected reptiles between Mexico and the United States for years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday. Georgina Bribiesca Chavez, 66, of Tijuana, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill L. Burkhardt on Tuesday following her arrest at the San Ysidro Port […] California Border Bust Bags 69 Rare Reptiles Stuffed In Pillowcases
Border Agents Find 69 Live Animals Stuffed in Pillowcases in Secret Car Compartment, Feds Say
Internewscast Journal Internewscast A 66-year-old woman described by federal prosecutors as a resident of Tijuana… This Post: Border Agents Find 69 Live Animals Stuffed in Pillowcases in Secret Car Compartment, Feds Say first appeared on Internewscast Journal
69 live animals found stuffed in pillowcases in hidden car compartment after border arrest: Feds – Democratic Accent
A woman identified by federal prosecutors as a Tijuana resident was arrested at the U.S.-Mexico border before U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 69 live animals — including venomous vipers, caimans and a baby crocodile — allegedly stuffed inside taped-shut pillowcases in a hidden compartment of her Volkswagen the following day, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. Georgina Bribiesca…
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