A man from New York has been sentenced to one year of probation and a $5,000 fine after attempting to smuggle three Burmese pythons across the U.S.-Canadian border.
Calvin Bautista, 38, was caught with the snakes concealed in snake bags attached to the inside of his pants while trying to take a bus from Montreal to New York City in 2018, according to The Associated Press (AP).
The pythons, valued at around $2,500, were purchased by Bautista from a Canadian reptile store. However, he failed to obtain the necessary documentation to import the constrictor snakes into the United States, as stated in a press release by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) Officers discovered the three snakes during a routine examination of Bautista's passport and a border search. Burmese pythons are considered a non-native species in North America and are known to be invasive in certain areas, such as Florida. They pose a threat to the local ecosystem by preying on native pets and disrupting the natural balance due to their lack of natural predators.
The importation of Burmese pythons into the U.S. is regulated due to the potential harm they can cause to human beings, as reported by The AP.
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