A man who attempted to smuggle nearly 17 protected parrots and parakeets through the San Ysidro port of entry has been sentenced to three months in federal jail.
Ricardo Alonzo, a San Diego County resident, received the sentence during a federal court hearing in San Diego, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Alonzo was ordered to pay $3,262 in restitution to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The sentence reflects the defendant’s disregard for mandatory quarantine requirements designed to prevent the spread of diseases. Three of the 17 smuggled birds later died.
“This defendant employed illegal smuggling practices that violated U.S. laws, endangered the lives of the birds he was smuggling, and threatened wildlife within the country,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon.
Doug Ault, deputy director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, said Alonzo undermined conservation efforts by removing vulnerable birds from their natural habitats.
He added that the case highlights strong coordination between the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Justice “to bring wildlife traffickers to justice.”
How the Smuggling Attempt Unfolded
The incident took place on May 4, 2025, at the San Ysidro port of entry. During an initial inspection, Alonzo twice told officers he had nothing to declare.
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer then conducted a secondary inspection, discovering bags roughly the size of lunch coolers hidden beneath the vehicle’s rear seat.
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Inside the bags, officers found 3 chicks and 17 young birds ranging from one week to a few months old. Some of the birds were so small they could not yet walk normally.
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service inspector later identified the species: 10 burrowing parrots (Cyanoliseus patagonus), 5 yellow-crowned Amazon parrots (Amazona ochrocephala), and 2 red-lored Amazon parrots (Amazona autumnalis).
