Overview
- Naim Lajud Libien, a 54-year-old Mexican citizen, was apprehended at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry on April 29, 2025, while attempting to smuggle 12 Orange Fronted Parakeets into the U.S.
- Six parakeets were found wrapped in nylon stockings inside Libien's boots during a secondary inspection, with bulges around his ankles alerting Border Patrol officers.
- A subsequent search of Libien's Jeep Grand Cherokee uncovered six more parakeets hidden in a seat cushion, two of which were dead and others injured.
- The Orange Fronted Parakeet, listed under CITES Appendix II, requires quarantine to prevent zoonotic diseases like avian influenza; Libien bypassed these regulations.
- Libien faces federal charges under 18 U.S.C. § 545, with a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, as investigations continue by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Homeland Security Investigations.