Home / Crime and Justice / Customs Bust Foils Attempt to Smuggle Rare Parakeets in Pants
Customs Bust Foils Attempt to Smuggle Rare Parakeets in Pants
16 Nov
Summary
- Man arrested for smuggling protected parakeets in his underwear
- Parakeets were heavily sedated when discovered by border agents
- Suspect has history of bird smuggling, faces up to 20 years in prison
On October 23rd, 2025, Customs and Border Protection officers at the U.S.-Mexico border uncovered a bizarre smuggling attempt. When they questioned 35-year-old U.S. citizen Jesse Agus Martinez about a suspicious bulge in his pants, he initially claimed it was a natural protrusion. However, further inspection revealed that Martinez had hidden two heavily sedated orange-fronted parakeets, a protected species, in his underwear.
The juvenile birds were found "breathing but heavily sedated" inside brown sacks tucked into Martinez's crotch. Authorities say Martinez had repeatedly insisted the bulge was his "pirrin," a Spanish word for penis. After receiving care from border veterinarians, the parakeets were confirmed to be in stable condition and transferred to the Department of Agriculture for quarantine.
Customs and Border Protection records indicate that this was not Martinez's first attempt to smuggle birds into the United States. He has now been indicted and charged with importation contrary to law, facing up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000. Orange-fronted parakeets are considered a vulnerable species, with over 570,000 captured and trafficked between 1995 and 2019, severely impacting their population.
