52 snakes and lizards found hidden in clothes of man trying to cross border, feds say

A man trying to enter the United States at a California border crossing had a little something extra hidden in his clothes — 52 snakes and lizards, federal officials said.

The 43 horned lizards and nine snakes were stuffed in mesh bags inside the man’s clothing at the San Ysidro border crossing Feb. 25, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers said in a news release.

The 30-year-old man, a U.S. citizen, was stopped about 3 a.m. while trying to drive a pickup truck across the border from Mexico, agents said.

Agents searched the man, finding the bagged reptiles hidden in his “jacket, pants pockets and groin area,” the release said.

“Smugglers will try every possible way to try and get their product, or in this case live reptiles, across the border,” said Sidney Aki, CBP Director of Field Operations in San Diego.

Agents arrested the man and seized his truck and reptiles, which will remain in quarantine since some are endangered species, the release said.

This story was originally published March 9, 2022 at 8:41 AM with the headline "52 snakes and lizards found hidden in clothes of man trying to cross border, feds say."