27 Amazon parrots seized at Arizona port of entry in Nogales
Mar 20, 2024, 8:00 PM
CBP officers seized 27 parrots from the Amazon at an Arizona port of entry, authorities said on March 18. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection Photo)
(U.S. Customs and Border Protection Photo)
PHOENIX — Arizona border officials thwarted an attempt to smuggle 27 protected birds into the United States, authorities announced Monday.
The parrots, all native to the Amazon, were discovered on the passenger side of a vehicle being inspected at the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales, concealed inside a crate and covered by a dark cloth, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.
Of the 27 birds, two were lilac-crowned and 25 were white-fronted parrots. Each bird is valued between $800 and $3,000.
All of the birds are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which is pursuing a criminal case against the suspects.
Information regarding the suspects wasn’t immediately known.
