(KTLA) – An Oxnard, California, man has been charged for illegally importing greater than 1,700 reptiles into america, 60 of which had been discovered hidden in his garments final month on the Mexican border.
Jose Manuel Perez, 30, was charged with one rely of conspiracy, 9 counts of smuggling items into the U.S., and two counts of wildlife trafficking, the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace for the Central District of California stated in a news release. The superseding indictment returned Thursday provides allegations to an indictment initially filed on Feb. 24.
In keeping with authorities, the brand new allegations embody some accusing Perez of crossing into the U.S. from Mexico by automobile with roughly 60 reptiles – together with dozens of lizards and 4 snakes – inside his pockets, groin space and pant legs in late February.
At first, Perez denied to customs officers that he had something to declare however later advised them that “the animals had been his pets,” the indictment alleges.
From January 2016 to February 2022, Perez; his sister, Stephany Perez; and their co-conspirators used social media to purchase and negotiate the sale and supply of wildlife within the U.S., in line with the Division of Justice. They allegedly posted pictures and movies displaying the reptiles being collected from the wild.
Among the many reptiles imported from Mexico and Hong Kong had been Yucatan field turtles, Mexican field turtles, child crocodiles and Mexican beaded lizards. All had been imported with out required permits, the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace stated.
For these reptiles smuggled from Mexico, co-conspirators would accumulate the wildlife from Cuidad Juarez Worldwide Airport and ultimately ship the animals by automobile to El Paso, Texas, the information launch stated. Perez paid his co-conspirators a “crossing payment” for every pickup – the quantity of which relied on the variety of reptiles, the dimensions of the bundle and the chance of being detected.
Perez and a co-conspirator would journey to Mexico themselves on some events. Throughout these journeys, stay animals that had been taken from the wild had been bought and introduced into the U.S.
As soon as the animals had been within the U.S., they had been allegedly transported to Perez’s Missouri residence and, after he moved to California, his residence in Ventura County.
In keeping with the DOJ, Stephany Perez helped within the unlawful wildlife smuggling enterprise whereas her brother was incarcerated within the U.S. She has been charged within the indictment with conspiracy and is anticipated to seem for an arraignment within the coming weeks, in line with the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace.
Jose Perez has been in federal custody since his arrest on Feb. 25, following the incident on the border, and is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday in Los Angeles.
If convicted of all expenses, authorities stated defendants would face a statutory most sentence of 5 years in federal jail for the conspiracy cost. Jose Perez would face a statutory most sentence of 20 years for every smuggling rely and 5 years for every wildlife trafficking rely.
