New Delhi: A man was arrested by US border agents last month when he was trying to enter the country from Mexico carrying 52 live lizards and snakes hidden in his clothing, media reports said.
The 30-year-old was nabbed at the San Ysidro border crossing with Mexico in California on February 25, news agency AP report, quoting the authorities as saying.
The man, who was driving a truck, was pulled out for additional inspection when he arrived at the border crossing, and that was when the agents found the reptiles on him, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
The 52 live reptiles were all tied up in small separate bags “which were concealed in the man’s jacket, pants pockets, and groin area”, the CBP statement said.
According to the report, the reptiles included nine snakes and 43 horned lizards, and they were all seized. Some of the species are said to be endangered.
“Smugglers will try every possible way to try and get their product, or in this case live reptiles, across the border,” Sidney Aki from the Customs and Border Protection in San Diego was quoted as saying. The official said the smuggler “attempted to deceive CBP officers in order to bring these animals into the US, without taking care for the health and safety of the animals”.