A young US woman faces up to 20 years in prison for pet smuggling, UPI reports.
Savannah Nicole Valdez, 20, was caught in the act at the Mexican border.
The woman attempted to smuggle a wild animal into the country illegally.
At the border checkpoint, immigration and customs officers inspected the woman’s car. A box caught their attention. The young woman claimed that the box contained bottles of beer.
Officials opened the box and saw not beer bottles, but a spider monkey. Noticing that the woman was trying to bring a wild animal into the village, officials asked her to pull over to the side of the road. The woman, worried about being discovered, tried to escape and almost caused an accident.
Apparently, the woman tried to smuggle the monkey into the United States illegally to sell later.
We learn that the final verdict and the punishment that the woman deserves will only be known in January 2023. The woman risks up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The monkey is currently in an animal shelter in Florida.
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