U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized five parrots hidden in a shoebox in the backseat of a vehicle.
Officers working at the Paso Del Norte international crossing in downtown El Paso last week recovered the birds when a vehicle with two passengers arrived, and the occupants declared several medications, according to CBP; officers located a closed shoebox in the rear seat.
"They opened the box and found that it contained the birds," said CBP. "The parrots were seized and turned over to USDA veterinary services for processing."
According to CBP, this is the second time in recent weeks that officers encountered parrots. In early March, officers encountered a man attempting to smuggle two parrots from Mexico to the U.S.
"The birds in that case were also concealed in a shoe box," said CBP.
