The smuggling operation took place over the course of six years, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office
Credit: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California/Facebook
NEED TO KNOW
- Jose Manuel Perez has been sentenced to more than five years in prison for trafficking at least 1,700 animals into the U.S
- Authorities said the reptiles, worth more than $739,000, were bought and sold through a six-year-long smuggling operation
- Perez allegedly had 60 reptiles hidden under his clothing at the time of his arrest
A California man has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison for trafficking at least 1,700 reptiles into the United States over six years.
Jose Manuel Perez of Oxnard pleaded guilty to two counts of smuggling goods into the United States and one count of wildlife trafficking in August 2022, said the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California in a recent press release.
He was sentenced to 65 months in prison on Thursday, May 28.
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Credit: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California/Facebook
Perez and his co-conspirators smuggled at least 1,700 animals — primarily reptiles like Yucatán box turtles, baby crocodiles and Mexican beaded lizards — into the United States between January 2016 and February 2022, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Investigators estimated the animals had a fair market value of more than $739,000.
Perez and his co-conspirators used social media to buy, sell and arrange deliveries of animals that had been taken from the wild. Authorities said posts advertising the reptiles included photos and videos showing the animals being snatched from the wild.
Federal officials additionally said members of the trafficking operation retrieved animals from Ciudad Juárez International Airport in Mexico before transporting them by vehicle across the border into El Paso, Texas.
Credit: Alamy
Perez paid a "crossing fee" for each shipment, with the amount depending on factors like the number of animals being transported and the risk of detection.
Perez was ultimately arrested on Feb. 25, 2022, while attempting to enter the U.S. with about 60 reptiles hidden in bags under his clothing, according to CBS News.
He allegedly claimed the animals were his pets at the time, per the outlet.
Perez's sentence comes while he is already serving a separate nine-year federal prison term after pleading guilty to three counts of possession of firearms in 2023, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
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