A California man who smuggled more than 1,700 wild animals into the United States, by carefully hiding them in his clothing, pleaded guilty this Wednesday. The 30-year-old was identified as Jose Manuel Perez from Oxnard.
Reports reveal that Perez paid accomplices a crossing fee to drive animals from Mexico to El Paso, Texas, where he had them shipped to his family's Ventura County home and resold them to customers throughout the U.S. However, it is illegal to import the animals without permits under an international treaty on the trade of endangered species.
Jose who illegally crossed borders with about 60 reptiles entered pleas over smuggling and a charge of wildlife trafficking. The smuggled reptiles were reportedly worth about $739,000 (approx. 5,90,29,472 INR). According to reports, Perez could face up to 20 years in federal prison for each smuggling count when he's sentenced on Dec. 1.
