Photo Courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection
The seized birds were placed in a quarantine isolation crate and turned over to agents from U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
By Forum Staff
A passenger earlier this month was nabbed attempting to smuggle live birds through John F. Kennedy International Airport, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.
The Guyanese national arrived at JFK on a flight from Georgetown on March 3 and was inspected by CBP officers. The agents conducted an examination of the traveler’s carry-on bag and discovered 20 live finches.
Customs agriculture specialists quarantined the seized birds, turned them over to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials, and issued a $300 fine to the traveler, who was subsequently found inadmissible to the United States and was scheduled to return to Guyana later that day.
“CBP’s agriculture specialists protect our country every day from pests and diseases,” said Leon Hayward, acting director of CBP’s New York Field Operations. “The introduction of an animal or plant-borne pest or disease could have a devastating impact on America’s agricultural industry.”
According to CBP, birds, including pets, may also be subject to Fish and Wildlife Service regulations. Pet birds are regulated since they can carry viral and bacterial diseases of concern including avian influenza, exotic Newcastle disease and psittacosis, also known as parrot fever.
