Anonymous - 1-28-2005 at 11:06 PM
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20050127-9999-7m27p...
By Onell R. Soto
January 27, 2005
A man caught smuggling more than 120 Mexican parrots and other exotic birds into the United States was sentenced Monday to 18 months in federal prison
and barred from trading in birds for three years after his release.
Joel Valencia, 37, of Perris told investigators he had smuggled birds many times before for sale in Los Angeles-area swap meets.
Many of the tropical birds confiscated from Valencia were given to Mexican wildlife officials for release into the jungle.
Thousands of birds are caught each year by poachers in tropical jungles, Mexican wildlife officials said.
Only one in five of the birds that are caught survives the trip to border cities such as Tijuana, where they are illegally sold on the street. It is
also illegal to bring the poached birds into the United States.
Valencia was linked to at least two bird-smuggling cases several years ago, prosecutors said.
When they stopped him Aug. 28, border agents found Valencia had hidden 48 lilac-crowned Amazon parrots, 66 half-moon conures, five cardinals and six
mockingbirds in metal boxes with holes, in paper bags and under the rear seats of his truck, according to court documents.