A Texas woman has been arrested US border officials and pleaded guilty for attempting to smuggle a live spider monkey into the US from Mexico.
The woman was driving her vehicle and initially claimed it contained a box of beer when asked by the officials at the border.
Illegal Smuggling Charge
According to a news release, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on November 1 stated that the Texas woman pleaded guilty on November 2 for illegally smuggling the spider monkey.
This came after a joint investigation conducted by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Kingsville Police Department.
The suspect named Savannah Nicole Valdez, 20, a resident of Katy, Texas, pleaded guilty for the charge of smuggling wildlife into the US without passing through the necessary procedures, such as declaring and invoicing the live spider monkey.
Valdez's case also worsened when she fled an immigration checkpoint.
Smuggling Incident
Smuggling an endangered species for profit is a tragic crime against nature's precious resources, according to Craig Larrabee, the acting special agent in charge, in HIS San Antonio.
The ICE release revealed the incident details from court documents, showing that it was on March 21 this year Valdez attempted to enter the US through the Gateway International Bridge in Brownsville, Texas.
The incident started when the US border officials noticed a wooden box with holes inside the Texas woman's vehicle, which Valdez claimed to contain a box of beer she purchased in Mexico.
When the officers opened the box, they discovered it did not contain beers but a box of live spider monkey.
The woman then refused to comply and sped off the scene, nearly hitting officers and other vehicles.
Later that day, the local authorities found multiple online advertisement postings regarding the sale of the spider monkey in the Katy and Houston areas of Texas.
The advertisements contained Valdez's phone number.
After a week, Valdez contacted law enforcement and voluntarily turned herself in on March 28, admitting to the acts she have committed.
The suspect will be sentenced on the January 23, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Roland Olvera, according to the ICE news release.
Valdez is facing up to 20 years in federal prison with a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Spider Monkey Conservation Status
Also known as the Guiana or red-faced spider monkey, the black spider monkey is one out of the seven species of spider monkeys located in Latin America and is one of the largest primate species across South America, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), a non-profit organization.
The WWF said that the spider monkey, especially the black spider monkey, is endangered due to the destruction of tropical rainforests and human activities like hunting.
Spider Monkey Smuggling
Like in other parts of the world, wildlife smuggling of spider monkeys is a growing problem at the US-Mexico border.
In January, US Customs border officials also thwarted a smuggling attempt at the Progreso International Bridge in Texas.
The incident involved four undeclared spider monkeys which were concealed inside a duffel bag onboard a jeep driven by a 20-year-old American woman, according to a news release by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
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