An Oxnard man, Jose Manuel Perez, has been sentenced to more than five years in prison for smuggling at least 1,700 reptiles into the U.S. over six years, the U.S. Department of Justice announced. The animals, including baby crocodiles and Yucatán box turtles, were sourced from Mexico, Hong Kong, and other countries and sold via social media. Perez and his co-conspirators evaded permits required by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and failed to declare the animals upon entry.
In August 2022, Perez pleaded guilty to one count of smuggling goods and one count of wildlife trafficking. The investigation, led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, revealed that the reptiles were captured in the wild, transported across the border, and sold for over $739,000. Some animals were sedated and hidden in vehicles, while others were transported under car seats with chickens as decoys.
Perez was already serving a nine-year sentence for felony possession of firearms when the wildlife trafficking sentence was handed down. The case highlights the ongoing issue of illegal wildlife trafficking and the role of social media in facilitating such activities.