Man at US Checkpoint Had Parakeets in His Pants

An alleged would-be smuggler faces a hefty fine and a long stretch behind bars after authorities say they found two sedated parakeets in his pants at the US-Mexico border. Federal prosecutors say 35-year-old Jesse Martinez, a US citizen who lives in Mexico, was indicted Friday on a smuggling charge in the bizarre case. Martinez allegedly tried to cross from Mexico into Southern California in late October, but customs officers noticed a suspicious bulge in his trousers, reports the New York Times. At first, Martinez claimed it was, er, natural, but finally admitted he had birds in his groin area.

Officers discovered two orange-fronted parakeets—a protected species native to Mexico—unconscious but alive inside brown sacks, per the Washington Post. Martinez said he didn't have the right paperwork to bring the birds into the US, claiming they were pets from his uncle and that he planned to keep them in a shoebox in his van. Court records indicate this was not his first attempt: He'd previously been caught in September trying to smuggle a parrot, which was later euthanized. The parakeets are now in quarantine at a Department of Agriculture facility in New York.

Orange-fronted parakeets are classified as "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List, with the pet trade cited as the biggest threat to their survival. If convicted, Martinez could face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.