A woman identified as a Tijuana resident was arrested Aug. 10 at the San Ysidro Port of Entry when U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 69 live animals hidden in a compartment of her Volkswagen. The animals, including venomous vipers, caimans and a baby crocodile, were found stuffed inside taped-shut pillowcases.
Georgina Bribiesca Chavez, 66, initially told a CBP officer she had nothing to declare. However, a records check revealed an outstanding warrant related to a wildlife trafficking investigation. CBP seized the vehicle, and the hidden compartment was discovered the following morning behind the rear seat. One of the pillowcases was observed to be moving.
The animals were transported to the San Diego Zoo, where staff identified 60 abronia lizards, four venomous yellow-blotched palm pit vipers, three caimans, a baby crocodile and an indigo snake. Prosecutors stated Chavez did not disclose the presence of the animals, leaving them in the vehicle for nearly 24 hours in August heat. Three caimans died, while the remaining animals were reported as stable and under the zoo's care.
Chavez pleaded not guilty to a federal wildlife trafficking charge and is being held without bond. She and her alleged trafficking partner, Salvador Pelayo, 28, of Chula Vista, face charges under the Lacey Act, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Pelayo, arrested in July, also pleaded not guilty.
Undercover Investigation
The arrests followed an approximately 18-month undercover investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Prosecutors allege Chavez and Pelayo had been trafficking wildlife together since 2023, making tens of thousands of dollars by selling exotic animals smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border. In one alleged transaction in March 2025, Chavez reportedly delivered four protected Mexican box turtles to an undercover agent for $2,600. These turtles were reportedly in poor health and died shortly after being transferred to the Oakland Zoo.
Pelayo is also accused of using the alias "Jose Lopez" to ship four protected Mexican and Yucatan box turtles to an undercover agent in New York. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Office of Law Enforcement is leading the investigation, with assistance from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. 
