California man accused of smuggling 1,700 reptiles into the U.S.

LOS ANGELES (TCD) -- A 30-year-old man was recently charged for allegedly smuggling 1,700 reptiles into the Unites States, including 60 that were hidden in his clothes.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California, from January 2016 to February 2022, Jose Manuel Perez and his sister, 25-year-old Stephany Perez, "used social media to buy and to negotiate the terms of the sale and delivery of wildlife." The two allegedly posted photos and video of animals being collected from the wild and smuggled from Mexico.

The Perez siblings reportedly smuggled Yucatan box turtles, Mexican box turtles, baby crocodiles, and Mexican beaded lizards. The U.S. Attorney's Office alleges that the animals were illegally smuggled from both Mexico and Hong Kong without the necessary permits.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Perez siblings worked with co-conspirators. The co-conspirators reportedly retrieved wildlife from Cuidad Juarez International Airport in Mexico and shipped them into El Paso, Texas, via car. The co-conspirators were paid a crossing fee for each border crossing, depending on how many animals were transported, "the size of the package, and the risk of being detected by the authorities," the U.S. Attorney's Office says.

Jose allegedly traveled to Mexico to buy other live animals that had been extracted from the wild. All animals were reportedly transported to his home in Missouri, but after he moved to Ventura County, California, the wildlife was shipped there.

On February 25, the U.S. Attorney's Office says Jose was arrested after he crossed into the U.S. from Mexico via car at the San Ysidro Port of Entry with around 60 reptiles, including multiple lizards and four snakes. The reptiles were reportedly hidden inside his jacket pockets, pants pockets, groin area, and pant legs. At the port of entry, Jose denied that he had anything to declare but later told authorities the animals were his pets, the U.S. Attorney's Office says.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Jose was charged with one count of conspiracy, nine counts of smuggling goods into the Unites States, and two counts of wildlife trafficking on Thursday, March 24. He is reportedly scheduled for his arraignment on March 28 in Los Angeles.

Stephany was charged with conspiracy, the U.S. Attorney's Office says.

The Perez siblings could reportedly face a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for the conspiracy charge if convicted. Jose could face up to 20 years for each smuggling count and five years for each wildlife trafficking count, the U.S. Attorney's Office says.

Jose remains in federal custody since his arrest in February, the U.S. Attorney's Office says.

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