Man arrested after trying to smuggle three cobras into the USA
US Attorney LA shows a live king cobra snake rearing next to a potato chip package after being seized from a package that was en route to the home of a man in Monterrey Park, California, USA.
Authorities from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) arrested Monterrey Park resident Rodrigo Franco on 25 July 2017, after serving a search warrant on his home.
On 02 March, US Customs agents intercepted a box sent from Hong Kong that contained three king cobra snakes and three albino Chinese soft-shelled turtles. The parcel was addressed to Rodrigo Franco, who on that same day sent a package to Hong Kong that contained six protected turtles.
US Postal Service agents delivered the package that was en route to Franco's home on 25 July, sans king cobras. Upon arriving at his home, agents from the USFWS executed a search warrant and found other protected species in his residence.
Franco was taken into custody and is facing smuggling charges.