A federal grand jury has indicted Jesse Agus Martinez, a U.S. citizen living in Tijuana, for allegedly smuggling two protected orange-fronted parakeets into the United States by concealing them in his underwear.
Martinez was stopped at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry on October 23, 2025. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers diverted him to secondary inspection after noticing a suspicious bulge in his groin area. According to CBP records, Martinez had previously been involved in bird smuggling attempts.
When questioned about the bulge, Martinez repeatedly claimed it was his “pirrin,” which is Spanish for penis. Upon further inspection, officers found two brown sacks inside his underwear. Each sack contained an orange-fronted parakeet that appeared unconscious but was breathing and heavily sedated.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents responded to the scene along with wildlife inspectors who identified the birds as juvenile orange-fronted parakeets (Eupsittula canicularis), a species protected under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) since 2005. The birds are native to Western Mexico and Costa Rica.
The seized parakeets were first treated by Veterinary Services at the border before being moved to a Department of Agriculture Animal Import Center for quarantine. Officials report that both birds are now stable.
Importing wildlife into the United States often requires a quarantine period to prevent potential transmission of zoonotic diseases—diseases that can pass from animals to humans or other animals—which may have serious public health impacts such as avian influenza or psittacosis.
“This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Rookard.”
Martinez faces charges of importation contrary to law under Title 18, U.S.C., Section 545, carrying a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and defendants are considered innocent unless proven guilty.*
