According to authorities, a man who attempted to smuggle reptiles worth $750,000 into the United States by concealing them in his pants risks decades in prison.
Jose Manuel Perez, who lives in southern California, planned the six-year plot that involved importing 1,700 animals into the country via Mexico and Hong Kong.
In a plea agreement with the Department of Justice, Perez admitted that he sometimes used his own means of border crossing and other times paid mules to deliver his illegal goods.
According to records, the species he netted—including Yucatan box turtles, Mexican box turtles, young crocodiles, and Mexican beaded lizards—were sold to customers across the nation for more than $739,000 each.
His demise occurred in March when he attempted to drive from Mexico while concealing 60 animals in various places on his shirt and around his groin.
He was discovered to be carrying 60 reptiles on him after originally claiming to customs agents he was carrying his pet lizards in his pockets.
They contained Isthmian dwarf boas, a type of snake that can change colours and uses bleeding from its eyes as a form of defence. They also included arboreal alligator lizards.
Of the reptiles, three were deceased.
On December 1, Perez will get his punishment after admitting to two counts of smuggling, each of which has a possible sentence of 20 years in prison, and one offence of wildlife trafficking, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
(with inputs from agencies)
