TIJUANA – The legal flap involving 23 exotic birds and former mayor Jorge Hank Rhon is winding down.

Four of his guards were released on bail Wednesday after being held 48 hours for unauthorized possession of the fowl.

Attorney Eduardo Díaz de León issued a statement saying that he had proven the legal status of the birds to the federal Attorney General's Office, known as the PGR. He represented Hank last summer when the business magnate had been accused of stockpiling illegal weapons.

The attorney said he was representing Sergio Iván Parra, Raúl Eliseo Ortiz, Luis Enrique Briceño and Óscar Gómez, the latter a municipal police officer, all employed by Grupo Caliente, Hank's gambling company.

The men were released on bail while federal authorities continue their investigation.

On Tuesday, a spokesman for the PGR said the four were detained at the city's international airport because they did not have legal documents to possess and move the 23 birds, including toucans and hawks.

The attorney's statement said that Óscar Gómez "lawfully acquired the wild fauna that is the basis for the investigation and that is why it is evident that a review will have to show that there is no basis for legal action."

He said Gómez has several documents that establish the legality of having the birds, among them a certificate issued by the federal government to transport them.

omar.millan@sandiegored.com