A passenger with an 'unexplained bulge' had 10 live birds stuffed down his pants as he tried to sneak them past border control. Alberto Hernandez Castillo was flagged by customs officers for a search after they noticed something suspicious below the waist.
According to reports, officers noticed he was nervous and that he had an 'unexplained bulge' in the pelvis and waist area. Border control took him to a separate inspection area where Castillo was found hiding six plastic tubes wrapped in tape – which were sewn into his pants. Each tube contained live birds with a total of 10 found on him.
Details of the discovery
The traveller, originally from Cuba, jetted into Miami, Florida in the US on Sunday (October 4) where he was stopped and searched. The species included eight yellow-faced Grassquits and two Blue Grosbeaks – two of the most common types in the illegal bird trade.
The shocking discovery was made after he was selected for a secondary inspection. US Customs and Border Protection officers gave him a document to declare any items he was taking into the US. Castillo ticked no to all questions – even ones asking whether he was bringing any wildlife into the country. He reportedly told the officer that he had been to Cuba to visit his family.
Legal proceedings
The man claimed that the birds were for 'personal use' before invoking his right to remain silent. Officers charged him with smuggling goods. Castillo appeared in Miami federal court and was released on a $25,000 (£19,000) personal surety bond. His arraignment date is set for October 26.
Similar incidents
It comes after two people were detained trying to smuggle monkeys in their underwear, with one creature dying from suffocation. The pair – a 27-year-old woman and a 26-year-old man from La Jagua de Ibirico in Colombia – were stopped at Cartagena's Rafael Núñez International Airport in May.
They were trying to board an international flight heading to the Dominican Republic. Authorities became suspicious of their behaviour before carrying out a physical examination that uncovered the exotic creatures in their underclothes. Officers discovered two white-fronted capuchin monkeys and one red howler monkey. Wildlife experts confirmed that the infant red howler monkey died from suffocation during the trafficking attempt owing to the severe, constricting conditions of its transportation.
