EL PASO, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Mexico-U.S. border seized five live parrots hidden in a shoe box last Wednesday. The birds were found inside a vehicle at the Paso Del Norte international crossing in downtown El Paso, Texas. When the agents conducted an inspection of the car, they found a closed shoe box in the rear seat. When they opened the box, they saw the parrots.
The birds were turned over to USDA veterinary services for processing.
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“CBP officers working at locations across the southwest border do encounter smuggled birds, reptiles, and other wildlife while they are performing their primary homeland security mission,” said CBP El Paso Director of Field Operation Hector Mancha. “Unfortunately there is a market for these animals but rest assured that the attention to detail exhibited by members of the CBP team will routinely identify these smugglers.”
The seizure is the second time in recent weeks where CBP officers in the El Paso area have encountered live birds. On March 8 CBP officers working at the Columbus port of entry in southern New Mexico encountered a man attempting to smuggle two parrots from Mexico to the U.S. The birds in that case were also concealed in a shoe box.