U.S. Border Patrol agents seized an illegal spider monkey and roughly 73 pounds of cocaine at the southern border between the United States and Mexico in a pair of incidents that led to the arrests of three individuals on Sunday.
In a Wednesday press release, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced, “U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, agriculture specialists at Hidalgo Port of Entry this weekend intercepted a spider monkey, more than $980K in cocaine in two separate, unrelated enforcement actions.”
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol agents flagged a 20-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman’s vehicle for a secondary inspection on Sunday as the two individuals were entering the United States through the Anzalduas International Bridge. Both individuals were identified by U.S. Customs and Border Protection as U.S. citizens.
During the secondary inspection, Border Patrol agents discovered that a spider monkey had been “hidden in a backpack inside the vehicle.”
Wednesday’s press release noted that Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service launched a criminal investigation after the discovery and arrested both individuals. Officials also transported the spider monkey to the Gladys Porter Zoo, which is located in Brownsville, Texas.
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection explained that certain types of monkeys are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and that the implementation of certain monkeys is regulated under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. U.S. Customs and Border Protection added that monkeys are “prohibited from importation as pets.”
In addition to the monkey incident, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Border Patrol agents seized roughly 73 pounds of “alleged cocaine” after conducting a secondary inspection of a 68-year-old Mexican citizen’s vehicle at the Hidalgo International Bridge. Officials estimated the value of the alleged cocaine at $980,218. U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed that the 68-year-old was taken into custody by Homeland Security Investigations.
“Our frontline CBP officers and agriculture specialists continue to remain vigilant as they conduct their inspections; their attention to detail and inspections experience led to an interception of an endangered species and a significant narcotics seizure in two separate enforcement events,” Hidalgo Port Director Carlos Rodriguez said. “We remain committed to preventing the exploitation of protected animals and the spread of animal diseases. Seizures of narcotics also reinforce our continued commitment to our border security mission.”
