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Federal Prosecutors Charge Two in U.S.-Mexico Border Wildlife Smuggling Scheme
Just the facts
Following the arrest of Georgina Bribiesca Chavez on August 10, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 69 live animals concealed inside taped pillowcases within a hidden compartment of her vehicle. The recovered reptiles, which were transferred to the San Diego Zoo, included 60 abronia lizards, four venomous yellow-blotched palm pit vipers, three caimans, a baby crocodile, and an indigo snake. Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California charged Chavez and her co-defendant, 28-year-old Salvador Pelayo of Chula Vista, California, with federal wildlife trafficking under the Lacey Act following an 18-month investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The federal charges carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Why this is news
Federal law enforcement authorities arrested 66-year-old Tijuana resident Georgina Bribiesca Chavez at the San Ysidro Port of Entry on an outstanding wildlife trafficking warrant.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.