A U.S. citizen flying from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to Los Angeles Airport was arrested by federal agents in March for smuggling 93 exotic birds in his luggage, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection statement Wednesday.
Agriculture specialists at LAX found 50 live birds and 43 dead birds in the unnamed male passenger’s suitcases. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials tried to save the remaining birds, but only eight survived.
“Importing certain illegal wildlife, such as these avian species, can not only introduce communicable animal diseases into the United States, but they can also pose a threat to our local ecosystem,” Jill Birchell, Fish and Wildlife Service special agent in charge, said in a statement.
Further review of the birds concluded some were endangered species and protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The Fountain Valley, Cali., resident was charged with smuggling goods into the U.S., which is a felony and carries up to 20 years in federal prison.
The suspect appeared before a judge on Tuesday and was released on bond. His next scheduled court date is June 5.
