California man arrested with reptiles hidden in clothing pleads guilty to smuggling charges

A California man has pleaded guilty to smuggling hundreds of reptiles into the United States, dozens of which were discovered hidden in his clothes upon his arrest.

Jose Manuel Perez, who also went by Julio Rodriguez, sneaked more than 1,700 wild animals — worth an estimated $739,000 ― into the United States between January 2016 and his arrest in February 2022, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles. The wildlife, which came from Mexico and Hong Kong, included Yucatan box turtles, baby crocodiles, Mexican box turtles and beaded lizards, none of which were declared at the border.

Perez also neglected to obtain the required permits through the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

A 30-year-old man pleaded guilty on two counts of smuggling and one count of wildlife trafficking for trying to bring in 60 reptiles hidden in his clothing in Feb. 2022, authorities said.

According to prosecutors, Perez relied on social media to coordinate with his accomplices, who were both paid a fee each time they managed to pick up the critters from Ciudad Juarez International Airport in Mexico and then drive them into El Paso. The exact payment varied based on the number of critters they were able to bring into the country and the level of risk.

In other instances, Perez himself traveled to pick up the critters.

A 30-year-old man pleaded guilty on two counts of smuggling and one count of wildlife trafficking for trying to bring in 60 reptiles hidden in his clothing in Feb. 2022, authorities said.

On Wednesday, the 30-year-old suspect pleaded guilty to two counts of smuggling goods into the United States and one count of wildlife trafficking. He was initially arrested in February with 60 reptiles tucked into bags hidden in his clothes. Three of them were already dead when he was detained.

Perez was released on bail in May. He cut his ankle monitor a month later and fled to Tijuana, but he was caught about two weeks later. He has been in custody ever since and sentencing has been set for December. He’s facing a maximum of 20 years for each smuggling count and five for trafficking.

Stephany Perez, 26, also of Oxnard and Jose Perez’s sister and co-defendant, is scheduled to go on trial in this case in February of next year.