CBP seizes 166 exotic pets, including pythons and tarantulas, from car traveling to Mexico

MISSION, Texas (KVEO) – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Texas arrested a driver accused of trying to smuggle more than 160 exotic animals, including reptiles and arthropods, into Mexico last week.

On Oct. 22, CBP officers at the Anzalduas International Bridge in Mission, Texas, came across a silver Toyota leaving the U.S. to cross into Mexico. Officers stopped the Toyota for “further inspection,” at which point they found the animals, according to a CBP news release.

A total of 166 reptiles and arthropods were identified inside the vehicle, including dozens of pythons, numerous lizards, multiple frogs and several tarantulas. The seized animals included creatures belonging to over 40 species.

A full list of the seized animals, as described by CBP, is below.

• 24 Royal Pythons
• 15 Green Anoles
• 11 Spotted Salamanders
• 10 Sick Red Eye Tree Frogs
• 10 Albino Milk Snakes
• 10 Orange Milk Snakes
• 10 Mexican Black King Snakes
• 4 Monarch Ball Pythons
• 4 Tarantulas
• 3 yellow Pacman Frogs
• 3 coffee Pacman Frogs
• 3 Chilean Rose Tarantulas
• 3 Irian Jaya Blue Tongued Skinks
• 3 bearded Dragons
• 3 Savannah Monitors
• 3 Rankin Dragons
• 3 Albino Aberrant Calif. King Snakes
• 3 Albino Banded Calif. King Snakes
• 3 Albino Striped Calif. King Snakes
• 3 Albino/Amelanistic Corn Snakes
• 3 Black Corn Snakes
• 2 Ball Pythons
• 2 Honduran Milk Snakes
• 2 Ornate Monitor Lizards
• 2 Chinese Caved Geckos
• 2 Veiled Chameleons
• 2 Centipedes
• 2 Green Tree Pythons
• 2 High White Calif. King Snakes
• 1 Timor Python
• 1 Carpet Python
• 1 Garter Snake
• 1 Banana Blade Clown
• 1 Banana Spotnose
• 1 Pinstripe Ball Python
• 1 Fire Skink
• 1 Indian Star Tortoise
• 1 Ghost Aztec Jungle Boa
• 1 Female Juvenile Axanthic Banana Ball Python
• 1 Female Juvenile Axanthic Banana Lesser Ball Python
• 1 Juveline Axanthic Lesser Ball Python
• 1 Juveline Axanthic Ball Python
• 1 Juvenile Ghost Piebald Ball Python
• 1 Juvenile Piebald Ball Python
• 1 Male Juvenile Axanthic Banana Enchi Ball Python

CBP officers seized the vehicle, and Homeland Security Investigations special agents arrested the driver, who was not identified.

“The smuggling of exotic pets has been on the rise in our area, and we work closely with our partners of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect and preserve these creatures and ensure that importations and exportations of wildlife adhere to all applicable federal requirements,” said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez.

The “reptiles and spiders” were handed over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to CBP.