Border Agents Find Endangered Reptiles In Pillowcases During Car Search
Customs and Border Protection officers searching a car seized at the San Ysidro Port of Entry found hidden pillowcases that contained dozens of exotic and endangered reptiles during a search on August 11, 2026.[1]
The pillowcases, tucked inside a taped hidden compartment, held 60 abronia lizards, four yellow-blotched palm pit vipers, three caimans, one baby crocodile and one indigo snake when they were opened at the San Diego Zoo.[1]
On August 10, 2026, CBP officers arrested Georgina Bribiesca Chavez at the San Ysidro Port of Entry on an outstanding wildlife-trafficking warrant and seized her vehicle.[1] Agents noticed a pillowcase moving inside the concealed compartment during a follow-up search, which prompted technicians to transfer and open the packages at the zoo.[1]
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California says Chavez and alleged partner Salvador Pelayo have trafficked exotic reptiles since 2023 and earned tens of thousands of dollars from those sales.[1] Both have pleaded not guilty to federal trafficking charges.[1]
Show source details & analysis (1 source)
📌 Key Facts
- On August 10, 2026, CBP officers arrested Georgina Bribiesca Chavez at the San Ysidro Port of Entry on an outstanding wildlife trafficking warrant and seized her car.
- A search on August 11, 2026, found a hidden compartment with taped pillowcases that, once opened at the San Diego Zoo, contained 60 abronia lizards, 4 yellow-blotched palm pit vipers, 3 caimans, 1 baby crocodile and 1 indigo snake.
- The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California says Chavez and alleged partner Salvador Pelayo have trafficked exotic reptiles since 2023 and earned tens of thousands of dollars; both have pleaded not guilty to federal trafficking charges.
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time