An Aransas Pass woman has been arrested on federal charges of smuggling rare Vietnamese chickens into the United States.
46-year-old Jennifer Mayo appeared in Corpus Christi federal court to hear the charges against her.
According to a federal indictment, Mayo allegedly brought Vietnamese chicken eggs and hatchlings into the country from August to September 2023.
Federal law prohibits the importation of poultry from countries where bird flu exists unless specific conditions are met.
Jennifer Mayo faces up to 20 years in federal prison if she’s found guilty.