BROWNSVILLE, Texas — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and agriculture specialists intercepted two howler monkeys at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge and turned them over to federal authorities.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Rio Grande Valley and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service initiated a criminal investigation and are working the case together.
The incident occurred Mar. 4 at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge, when a 29-year-old male Mexican citizen attempted to enter the United States in a 2015 Chevrolet pickup. CBP officers referred the vehicle for a secondary inspection, where officers and agriculture specialists discovered two live monkeys inside.
HSI arrested the driver and authorities seized the vehicle. The monkeys were turned over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and will be housed at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville.
Howler monkeys are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Their importation is regulated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ultimately, monkeys are prohibited from importation as pets.
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