Calay News
Federal authorities reported that US Border Patrol agents made a startling discovery last weekend when they arrested a migrant carrying a backpack filled with seven spider monkeys.
Agents found the monkeys Sunday when they arrested a young Mexican man in Brownsville, Texas, near the US-Mexico border, according to an official statement. The Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol posted a video on Facebook showing the monkeys crammed inside a bag that appeared to have holes to allow the animals to breathe.
“Extremely proud of our agents for stopping this attempted wildlife smuggling of these critically endangered animals!” says the Facebook post.
The migrant was arrested, and the monkeys, which are native to Central and South America, were turned over to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Authorities did not release information about the condition of the animals.
Spider monkeys are considered critically endangered and are among the 25 most endangered primates in the world, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society.
“This case highlights the lengths to which smugglers will go to maximize their profits without regard to the lives of migrants or animals,” said Rio Grande Valley Sector Chief Agent Gloria Chavez.
Attempts to smuggle exotic animals into the United States are relatively common. Earlier this year, 29 Amazon parrot eggs were seized from a smuggler at Miami International Airport. The Fundación Conservadora de Especies Raras managed to hatch 26 of the 29 eggs, and 24 of the 26 chicks survived.
Last November, federal prosecutors charged eight people with smuggling endangered long-tailed macaques into the United States.
In August of last year, a California man pleaded guilty to smuggling more than 1,700 wild animals into the United States from Mexico.
