Bengal tiger cub confiscated from teen at border crossing

A Bengal tiger cub travelling from Mexico to California was confiscated by U.S. border officials on August 16.

Luis Eudoro Valencia, 18, a U.S. citizen from Perris, California, was charged on August 17 with unlawful importation and smuggling, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Agents allegedly found the cub lying on the floor of the 2017 Chevy Camaro on the passenger side while doing a routine inspection at about 1.30am on August 16 at the Otay Mesa border crossing, southeast of San Diego, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The cub was found on the floor of 18-year-old Luis Eudoro Valencia’s Chevy Camaro

All species of tigers are protected because they are endangered

Valencia told the court that he purchased the tiger for $300 from someone he met in the Mexican border city of Tijuana who was walking a full-sized tiger on a leash.

All species of tigers are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, and are protected. 

To legally import an endangered species into the United States requires a permit from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and a declaration filed with the agency.

Prosecutors say Valencia lacked both. 

Legally importing an endangered species into the United States requires a permit

Valencia said he bought the tiger for $300 from a man in Tijuana who had a tiger on a leash

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service officials took custody of the cub and are working with the San Diego Zoo to care for it.

Valencia was released on a $10,000 bond and ordered to appear for a preliminary hearing on September 5 in federal court in San Diego.

The Bengal tiger is found primarily in India with smaller populations in Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Myanmar. There are fewer than 3,000 left in the wild.