69 live animals found stuffed in pillowcases in hidden car compartment after border arrest: Feds
Georgina Bribiesca Chavez and Salvador Pelayo allegedly made tens of thousands selling exotic animals smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border since 2023.
TL;DR
- A woman was arrested at the San Ysidro Port of Entry attempting to enter the U.S.
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 69 live animals, including snakes, caimans, and a baby crocodile, in a hidden compartment of her Volkswagen.
- The animals were found stuffed inside taped-shut pillowcases.
- The woman, Georgina Bribiesca Chavez, and an alleged trafficking partner, Salvador Pelayo, are accused of a wildlife trafficking operation since 2023.
- Chavez faces a federal wildlife trafficking charge and pleaded not guilty.
- During an undercover operation in March 2025, Chavez allegedly sold protected Mexican box turtles that later died.
- Chavez and Pelayo face Lacey Act trafficking charges with potential prison time and fines.