San Diego, California – A San Ysidro man appeared in federal court this week to face charges of smuggling 14 live, bound toucans across the U.S.-Mexico border, in a case that shows a troubling and persistent pattern of illegal wildlife trafficking through Southern California’s ports of entry.
Carlos Abundez, 35, was stopped at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry after a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) canine unit alerted officers to possible contraband in his Volkswagen Passat. Upon inspection, officers discovered a small, wrapped bundle duct taped beneath the dashboard—an object that only revealed itself when it began to move. Further examination uncovered 14 juvenile Keel-billed toucans, sedated and crammed into a hidden compartment behind the dash.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, some of the birds suffered broken tails and one had a broken leg. Federal wildlife officials were called to the scene, and the birds—native to regions spanning from southern Mexico to Ecuador—were transferred to an Animal Import Center for quarantine. They are now in stable condition…