A California man has been arrested after border control agents found 14 live toucans stashed in his car dashboard.
Carlos Abundez, 35, of San Ysidro, appeared in federal court Wednesday on charges of smuggling the birds in his Volkswagen Passat earlier this month.
The discovery was made after federal agents detained Abundez at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry after a Customs and Border Protection canine flagged the car.
A CBP officer inspected the car further and found a bird, bound and wrapped in cloth, duct taped to the underneath of the dash, though did not know what the object was until it began to move and flutter.
Officers then pried open the side panel of the dashboard and discovered a total of 14 sedated juvenile Keel-billed toucans concealed within the compartment, according to the Department of Justice.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents and inspectors responded to the scene. A wildlife inspector identified the 14 juvenile birds as Keel-billed toucans.
Some had injuries including broken tails and a broken leg.
The birds were initially cared for by Veterinary Services at the southern border, before being transferred to a Department of Agriculture Animal Import Center for quarantine. The birds are now reported to be in stable condition.
Keel-billed toucans are native to southern Mexico down through Ecuador, including Venezuela, Columbia and Nicaragua. They are sold as pets and can cost up to $5,000 per bird.
“Smuggling endangered birds by sedating them, binding their beaks, and hiding them in car compartments is not just cruel—it’s criminal,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon.
Abundez’s arrest follows the recent prosecution of three other individuals caught smuggling Amazon parrots and parakeets through the Otay Mesa and San Ysidro ports of entry, highlighting a troubling pattern of illegal wildlife trade through Southern California.
“This disturbing trend of trafficking exotic wildlife through Southern California ports poses a serious threat to public health and agriculture,” Gordon added.
“These birds bypass mandatory quarantine and screening, potentially carrying devastating diseases like avian influenza. We will continue to investigate and prosecute those who treat living creatures as contraband and put our communities and ecosystems at risk.”
This article by Mike Bedigan was first published by The Independent on 12 July 2025.
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