Overview
- Jesse Agus Martinez, 35, was indicted in the Southern District of California on a charge of importation contrary to law after an Oct. 23 inspection at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.
- CBP officers flagged a groin bulge during screening, and a secondary search found two brown sacks containing juvenile orange-fronted parakeets concealed in his underwear.
- Prosecutors said the birds were breathing but heavily sedated when discovered, and Martinez repeatedly told officers the bulge was his 'pirrin,' a Spanish term for penis.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service identified the protected parakeets, which received Veterinary Services care and were transferred to a USDA Animal Import Center for quarantine, where they are reported stable.
- If convicted, Martinez faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and authorities cited CBP records suggesting he had smuggled birds before; the species is listed as vulnerable and is subject to international and Mexican trade restrictions.