Man charged after hiding 10 live birds in underwear at Miami airport
Alberto Hernandez Castillo, 40, was released on $25,000 bail after federal agents found ten live birds in plastic tubes sewn into his underwear on arrival from Havana.
Selection at Miami airport
Customs and Border Protection officers at Miami International Airport pulled Alberto Hernandez Castillo, 40, aside for additional inspection after he landed on 4 October on a flight from Havana, Cuba. He told officers he had been visiting family in Cuba. Reports describe him as a Cuban national and legal US resident, and one outlet says he also holds a US passport. Officers asked him to complete a mandatory declaration of the goods he was bringing into the country, and he listed one carry-on bag and a waist bag. He answered "no" to the other questions, including whether he was bringing animals or wildlife into the United States.
Ten birds in plastic tubes
Officers noticed what federal documents describe as an unexplained bulge at the front of his pelvic and waist area, and they noted that he appeared nervous. His nervousness reportedly increased when questioning turned to his swollen stomach. Agents took him to a secure area for a body search, where they found six clear plastic tubes sewn into black pockets in his underwear. The tubes were wrapped in tape and plastic, some had a small mesh near the opening, and inside were ten live birds. Investigators identified eight of them as yellow-faced grassquits and two as blue grosbeaks. Castillo told officers the birds were for "personal use", and he later invoked his right to remain silent.
- Yellow-faced grassquit
- 8 birds
- Blue grosbeak
- 2 birds
Charges, bail and next steps
Federal prosecutors for the Southern District of Florida charged him with smuggling goods into the United States. He appeared before a federal court in Miami the day after his arrest and was released on $25,000 bail, which La Razón puts at about 21,500 euros. His next court date is 26 October, when he is due to hear the charges read. AD reports he could face a fine of thousands of dollars, and possibly prison if the birds turn out to be threatened species.
- Lands in Miami from Havana; officers find ten live birds in six tubes sewn into underwear
- Appears before federal court in Miami and is released on $25,000 bail
- Next court date, when the charges are to be read
Protected species and open questions
Both species are protected under a 1918 US law on migratory birds, and Castillo had no documents allowing him to bring them in. The US Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating the incident alongside the federal case. Authorities have not said what happened to the ten birds. Outlets differ on the flight day, with AD reporting a Monday flight from Havana while other reports give Sunday 4 October. The next public step in the case is the 26 October hearing.
