A Ventura County man is accused of smuggling thousands of reptiles into the United States, at times putting some inside of his pants to avoid detection at border crossings.
Federal prosecutors say Jose Manuel Perez smuggled more than 1,700 lizards and snakes into the country from Mexico over a six-year period. They say he and sister used social media to buy wildlife, and then negotiate the sale of the reptiles in the United States.
They included turtles and baby crocodiles. The reptiles came from Mexico, and Hong Kong.
Investigators say the 30-year-old Oxnard man was arrested at the San Ysidro border crossing in February with about 60 reptiles hidden in his clothing. He’s facing smuggling, conspiracy, and wildlife trafficking charges.
