Jesse Agus Martinez faces up to 20 years in prison for his budgie smuggling attempt. Photo / United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California
Jesse Agus Martinez faces up to 20 years in prison for his budgie smuggling attempt. Photo / United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California
An American man has been caught attempting to smuggle parakeets in his underwear as he tried to cross the US-Mexico border.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of California, Jesse Agus Martinez attempted to cross the border at Otay Mesa on October 23 at around 12.50pm (localtime).
The man was illegally transporting his secret cargo – two “heavily sedated” orange fronted parakeets – when he was stopped by a suspicious Customs and Border Protection officer.
Martinez’s plan to transport the birds over the border was only foiled when border officials questioned his bulging pants.
Despite his insistence the oversized appearance of his crotch was simply his “pirrin”, the Spanish word for penis, Martinez was subjected to a further inspection.
The two parakeets were unconscious when they were discovered. Photo / United States Attorney's Office for Southern District of California
Responding officers then discovered a pair of brown sacks stuffed into his underwear, each containing an endangered budgie.
After being treated by veterinarians at the border, the birds were transported into the Department of Agriculture’s care for quarantine and are reportedly unharmed.
The Daily Mail reports Martinez, who lives in Tijuana, Mexico, told authorities he was smuggling the pets over the border because he didn’t have the right paperwork for them.
He had intended to keep the parakeets “in a shoe box in his van” after being gifted them by his uncle.
The 35-year-old had a history of smuggling parrots into the US, having previously been caught concealing a bird under a towel at the border in September.
Martinez has been charged with federal smuggling over the incident and faces the possibility of a 20-year prison sentence.
US Fish and Wildlife Service is also investigating the incident.
