LOS ANGELES — An Oxnard man was sentenced to five years and five months in federal prison for trafficking at least 1,700 reptiles from Mexico and other countries into the United States.
Jose Manuel Perez, 34, pleaded guilty to two counts of smuggling goods into the United States and one count of wildlife trafficking.
Quick Facts
- Defendant: Jose Manuel Perez, 34, of Oxnard
- Sentence: 65 months in federal prison
- Animals Smuggled: At least 1,700
- Value: More than $739,000
- Countries: Mexico and Hong Kong
- Investigator: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Federal prosecutors said Perez and his co-conspirators illegally imported reptiles from Mexico and Hong Kong between 2016 and 2022 without required permits under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
The animals included Yucatán box turtles, Mexican box turtles, baby crocodiles and Mexican beaded lizards. Perez used social media to buy, sell and advertise the animals, according to court records.
Authorities said Perez paid associates to transport wildlife across the U.S.-Mexico border and was responsible for smuggling animals valued at more than $739,000.
Perez is already serving a separate nine-year federal prison sentence for being a felon in possession of firearms.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigated the case.