These boots are made for walking, not for smuggling parakeets.
Nevertheless, that’s what Naim Lajud Libien attempted to do while trying to cross the border from Mexico into the U.S. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California, Lajud Libien was asked to step out of his vehicle, where upon a Customs and Border Protection officer noticed his ankles were bulging out of his boots.
Performing a pat-down check, the officer found three orange-fronted parakeets tied to each of Lajud Libien’s ankles using nylon stockings. Six more birds were found in his vehicle, also tied in panty hose.
“Smuggling at the border takes many forms, but the tragic impact on animals forced into such perilous conditions is deeply troubling,” says U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “We are committed to holding accountable those who endanger wildlife and public health through these reckless and inhumane smuggling practices.”
Lajud Libien has been charged with importation contrary to law and faces up to 20 years in custody.