Phoenix man, mother sentenced for smuggling wildlife into Arizona from Mexico

PHOENIX — A Phoenix man and his mother have been sentenced for smuggling wildlife from Mexico to Arizona, authorities announced last week.

Raymond Anthony Rabago Montoya, 23, was sentenced earlier this month to one year and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.

His mother, 50-year-old Griselda Guadalupe Montoya-Gastelum, of Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced in July to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

Their cases are related to one involving a man who was arrested last year for trying to sell a tiger cub to undercover Phoenix police.

How were mother and son smuggling wildlife into Arizona?

Rabago Montoya and Montoya-Gastelum pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act, a federal law that bans illegal trafficking of wildlife, fish and plants.

The mother and son had smuggled exotic and endangered animals from Mexico to the United States through ports of entry.

Their wildlife trafficking schemes included tigers, panthers, monkeys and exotic parrots, prosecutors said.

“Once again we see Arizonans profiting from the concealment of contraband through the Nogales and Lukeville ports of entry,” U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino said in a news release. “The sentences imposed send strong messages both of deterrence and of the importance of robust environmental protections.”

How did authorities discover their wildlife trafficking scheme?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began investigating the defendants in August 2022, prosecutors said.

Officials had learned of the mother and son’s wildlife trafficking after a person who bought four exotic parrots from Rabago Montoya reported suspicions that the birds had been illegally imported.

While looking into the allegations, investigators became aware of another Arizona man who was illegally selling wildlife.

Undercover officers responded to an ad offering a tiger cub for sale posted by Carlos Castro in January 2023.

A search of his Phoenix home uncovered the cub trapped in a dog kennel in a closet, as well as an alligator, 12 snapping turtles, six tortoises and boxes of other reptiles.

Castro was later convicted of unlawful sale of wildlife. He was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution for the cub’s care.

The tiger cub, Indy, was 23 pounds when she was rescued, according to Wildcats Sanctuary, which took her in when she was about 6 months old.

How mother and son who were smuggling wildlife were arrested

Federal agents then found Facebook posts advertising spider monkeys for sale. They bought two monkeys from Rabago Montoya and Montoya-Gastelum for $6,000 each.

In June and August of 2023, law enforcement encountered Rabago Montoya and found dozens of endangered parrots hidden in his vehicle. Many of them were dead, prosecutors said.

Edward Grace, assistant director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement said wildlife trafficking is illegal and immoral.

“Countless animals that are taken from the wild are smuggled across borders in inhumane conditions,” Grace said in the release. “In the case of spider monkeys, many trafficked animals perish due to inadequate care, while those that survive face a life of captivity.”

The discovery of the dead exotic birds in Rabago Montoya’s vehicle led to his and his mother’s arrests and indictments.

“We hope this case emphasizes that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and our partners will continue to ensure that those engaged in wildlife trafficking are brought to justice,” Grace said.

Related

Man indicted for allegedly trying to sell tiger cub in PhoenixTiger cub seized by Phoenix Police moving to permanent home3 dead, 1 injured following Gilbert stabbing and officer-involved shootingCamelot Homes unveils boutique luxury community in PhoenixDave Ramsey says: Don’t let giving turn into debtConstruction begins on $20.1M medical office condominium development in Queen Creek