SAN DIEGO — Authorities said Tuesday that a man tried to sneak past U.S. Border Agents in California by hiding 52 lizards or snakes in his clothes.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the man was driving a truck at the border crossing with Mexico in San Ysidro on February 25th. He was stopped for further inspection and taken out of his vehicle.
The statement stated that 52 live reptiles were found tied up in small bags by agents. They were hidden in the man’s jacket and pants pockets as well as the groin area.
Nine snakes and 43 horned Lizards were taken into custody. Authorities said that some of these species are endangered.
Sidney Aki from Customs and Border Protection, San Diego’s director of field operations, said that smugglers will use every means to get their product (or in this case live reptiles) across the border. “In this instance, the smuggler tried to deceive CBP officers to bring these animals into America without taking care of their safety and health.”
The man was a U.S. citizen aged 30 and was taken into custody