May 26, 2026 – SAN DIEGO, CA – Sydney Johnson of Santee and Brandon Marion of Temecula
appeared in federal court on Monday, May 18 to face charges that they illegally imported 27 protected parrots and parakeets in a modified spare tire in the trunk of a car.
Both species of birds – including 11 orange-fronted parakeets (Eupsittula canicularis) and 16 white-fronted Amazon parrots (Amazona albifrons) – are protected under the Endangered Species Act.
Federal agents detained Johnson and Marion applied for admission to the United States at the San Ysidro Port of Entry on May 3. Customs and Border Protection officers detected anomalies in the spare tire. When an officer inspected the tire, he heard a screeching noise and found the birds in the spare tire, which had been outfitted with a cage…