Man Smuggled Baby Crocodiles And 1,700 Other Wild Animals In His Clothes On Flight

A guy who attempted to sneak more than 1,700 wild animals through an airport by hiding them in his clothes has pleaded guilty to federal crimes.

The animals reported having a market worth of more than $739,000 and were unlawfully brought by the Californian man from the coastal city of Oxnard.

(Picture: US Attorney LA)

Jose Manuel Perez, also known as Julio Rodriguez, entered a guilty plea to two counts of smuggling goods and one count of trafficking in wildlife.

In court, it was also revealed that Perez and his associates organized the smuggling of the animals, mostly reptiles, between 2016 and February of this year via social media, following a plea deal.

AP

Yucatan and Mexican box turtles, baby crocodiles, Mexican beaded lizards, and baby crocodiles were some of the reptiles that were sourced from Mexico and Hong Kong.

They were driven across the border into the US without the necessary licenses or customs notifications.

Getty Images

Then, using his alias Julio Rodriguez, Perez sold them to people throughout the country from his house northwest of Los Angeles.

In addition, during a year starting in February 2021, Perez entered the US at the San Ysidro port of entry in San Diego around 36 times while renting a home in Tijuana.

On February 25 of this year, he was found carrying 60 lizards concealed in tiny bags in his jacket, pant pockets, and groin area while attempting to enter the border.

After being freed on bond in May, Perez removed his ankle tag and fled to Mexico the following month. He was caught 11 days later and has been in US detention ever since.

He could receive a maximum term of 20 years in federal prison on each count of smuggling and an additional five years for the charge of wildlife trafficking.

The trial for Stephany Perez, a 26-year-old co-defendant who is also from Oxnard, is set to begin the following year.