Man Smuggles 44 Birds in Trousers on Chartered Flight

A man who arrived in Miami on a charter flight from Havana, Cuba was found to be carrying 44 birds hidden in his trousers.

Airport inspectors at Miami became suspicious and asked the man, Carlos M. Rodriguez Avila, to raise his trouser legs. The birds had been strapped to his legs and a final count included some Cuban melodious finches, a species which is not endangered but is easily stressed by capture and smuggling.

Avila has been charged with unlawful importation and possession of the birds, valued at more than USD350, and making a false statement for stating on a US Customs form that he was not bringing birds into the country. He faces a sentence of up to five years in prison and a USD250,000 fine, reported The Associated Press.