NYC man attempted to smuggle 3 Burmese pythons in his pants across US-Canada border
Burmese python is considered invasive in Florida, importation regulated by treaty
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A New York City man has been charged with smuggling three Burmese pythons in his pants at a U.S-Canadian border crossing.
Calvin Bautista, 36, is accused of bringing the hidden snakes on a bus that crossed into northern New York on July 15, 2018. Importation of Burmese pythons is regulated by an international treaty and by federal regulations listing them as "injurious to human beings."
FLORIDA PYTHON HUNT BRINGS 800 COMPETITORS, THOUSANDS AVAILABLE IN PRIZE MONEY
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Bautista, of Queens, was arraigned Tuesday in Albany on the federal smuggling charge and released pending trial, according to a news release from the office of U.S. Attorney Carla B. Freedman.
Burmese Python, like the one pictured above at Everglades Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on April 25, 2019, are invasive to the United States and are actively hunted in States like Florida, where they wreak havoc on the ecosystem. (Photo by RHONA WISE/AFP via Getty Images)
An email seeking comment was sent to Bautista's lawyer.
The charge carries the potential for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine as high as $250,000, according to federal prosecutors.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}5,000 BURMESE PYTHONS REMOVED FROM FLORIDA EVERGLADES
The Burmese python, one of the world’s largest snakes, is considered a vulnerable species in its native Asia and is invasive in Florida, where it threatens native animals.