Federal prosecutors have accused two individuals of operating a long-term scheme to smuggle protected reptiles across the U.S.-Mexico border, resulting in the deaths of many of the animals.
Georgina Bribiesca Chavez, 66, of Tijuana, was arrested on August 10 as she attempted to enter the United States at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. She declared nothing to Customs and Border Protection officers. However, an officer discovered an active arrest warrant related to a wildlife trafficking investigation while verifying her identification. Chavez was taken into custody, and her vehicle, a red Volkswagen, was impounded.
The following day, CBP officers inspecting the seized vehicle discovered a hidden compartment behind the rear bench seat. Inside were several pillowcases, knotted and sealed with tape. One of the packages was observed to be moving.
Backup was called, and the pillowcases were transported to the San Diego Zoo for examination. Zoo staff found 60 abronia lizards, four venomous yellow-blotched palm pit vipers, three caimans, one baby crocodile, and one indigo snake. All three caimans died before they could be saved by zoo personnel. The remaining animals were reported to be stable under the zoo's care.
"These animals were not cargo—they were living creatures subjected to dangerous conditions for profit," said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon.
Prosecutors allege that Chavez and her trafficking partner, Salvador Pelayo, 28, of Chula Vista, began smuggling exotic reptiles into the U.S. in 2023 to sell to American buyers. Pelayo was arrested in July and also faces federal charges in the U.S. for trafficking exotic wildlife.
Federal investigators initiated a sting operation against the pair approximately 18 months prior to the recent arrests. Undercover agents reportedly posed as buyers, observing Chavez and Pelayo at shipping centers around San Diego as they sent and received wildlife. In March 2025, undercover agents purchased four protected Mexican box turtles from Pelayo and an associate in Mexico for $6,000. Chavez reportedly met an undercover agent in person to deliver the live animals. The turtles were described as being in poor health, likely due to being caught in the wild and contracting a respiratory disease, and all four died within three months.
In another instance in March 2025, an undercover agent purchased four protected Mexican and Yucatan box turtles from their associate in Mexico, which were intended to be shipped to New York. These turtles were transferred to the Buffalo Zoo.
Court records indicate that Pelayo and Chavez generated tens of thousands of dollars from the sale of exotic animals to U.S. buyers. The pair also reportedly trafficked protected wildlife sourced in the U.S. to Mexico for sale to customers there. Chavez was observed picking up Eastern box turtles native to New York at a San Diego shipping center, which she then smuggled into Mexico in her vehicle.
Chavez and Pelayo have pleaded not guilty to the charges. Chavez is currently being held in federal custody and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on August 27. Pelayo's next court date is in October.