A New York man faces up to 20 years in prison after he was accused of trying to smuggle three huge snakes across the United States-Canada border by hiding them in his pants.
According to reports from the Associated Press, a man named Calvin Bautista, 36, a resident of Queens, is accused of harboring three Burmese pythons while traveling on a bus that entered the United States at the Champlain Port of Entry in New York State on July 15, 2018. Mr.
Bautista was arraigned this week in court in Albany, the New York state capital. Because the importation of Burmese pythons is controlled by both international treaty and federal law, it is accused of smuggling by the federal government.
According to a report by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Bautista did not have the necessary permits to import the pythons into the United States from another country.
These permits are required by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. According to the Department of Justice, Bautista was allowed to walk free before his trial began.
A California man was caught transporting 1,700 reptiles into the US from Mexico. He was caught with 60 lizards, frogs, crocodiles, turtles and snakes in his pants and socks. He made millions from reptilians and was arrested for conspiracy. pic.twitter.com/GNjXC9ZVgH
– SAY CHEESE! ?? (@SaycheeseDGTL) March 25, 2022
If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison, a fine of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars and three years of supervised release. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service and US Customs and Border Protection are currently reviewing the matter.
The Burmese python, which can reach lengths of up to 16 feet, is one of the largest snake species. Pythons are not considered to be endangered. However, in Asia they are considered a vulnerable species, while in Florida they are considered an invasive species.