Live toucans seized by customs officers at border in San Diego
SAN DIEGO – Two live toucans wrapped in stockings and hidden inside a purse were seized last month at the U.S.-Mexico border in San Diego, customs officials said.
According to a news release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, officers seized the exotic birds from travelers attempting to smuggle the birds across the border at the Otay Mesa port of entry on Dec. 26.
Authorities said a 35-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman were driving a 2015 Toyota Camry and were applying for entry into the U.S., KFMB-TV reported.
A customs officer detained both people and their vehicle to conduct an inspection, according to KNSD-TV. During a search, a CBP agriculture specialist discovered the live toucans inside a traveler’s purse, the television station reported.
Both people were turned over to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigators and Fish and Wildlife Services, the CBP news release stated.
The vehicle and the birds were seized by customs officials.
“Smuggling live animals, especially endangered species, is a serious offense and this significant seizure demonstrates the lengths a smuggler will go for their own financial gain,” Jenifer De La O, the CBP’s director of field operations in San Diego, said in a statement. “Our officers and agriculture specialists work hard every day to stop these horrible acts and protect our wildlife species for future generations to enjoy.”
