Tijuana Woman Arrested for Wildlife Trafficking at U.S.-Mexico Border

A woman from Tijuana, identified by federal prosecutors, was apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border. This happened before U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers discovered 69 live animals, including venomous vipers, caimans, and a baby crocodile. These creatures were allegedly hidden inside pillowcases sealed with tape, found in a compartment of her Volkswagen, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.

Georgina Bribiesca Chavez, aged 66, was taken into custody on August 10 at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. She allegedly claimed to a CBP officer that she had nothing to declare. However, a records check showed a warrant related to a wildlife trafficking investigation. Even though the Volkswagen was seized, officers uncovered the animals only the next day during an inspection. They located a concealed factory compartment behind the rear seat containing tightly sealed pillowcases.

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One of these pillowcases was observed to be moving. The bags were moved to the San Diego Zoo. There, workers found 60 abronia lizards, four venomous yellow-blotched palm pit vipers, three caimans, a baby crocodile, and an indigo snake, as per the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Prosecutors noted that Chavez never informed officers about the animals, which remained in the vehicle for almost 24 hours in the heat of August. Sadly, all three caimans perished. The rest of the animals were reported to be stable and remained under the zoo’s care as of the previous week.

Chavez pleaded not guilty to a federal wildlife trafficking charge and was denied bail. Her alleged associate, Salvador Pelayo, 28, from Chula Vista, had been arrested in July and also pleaded not guilty.

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The arrests were part of an approximately 18-month undercover investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Prosecutors alleged that Chavez and Pelayo had been trafficking wildlife since 2023, profiting tens of thousands of dollars by selling exotic animals.

During one alleged transaction in March 2025, Chavez reportedly delivered four protected Mexican box turtles to an agent for $2,600 cash shortly after crossing the border. Sadly, all four turtles later perished after being taken to the Oakland Zoo. They were in poor health at the time of acquisition and were believed to be suffering from respiratory disease, prosecutors disclosed.

Separately, Pelayo is accused of using the alias “Jose Lopez” to ship four protected Mexican and Yucatan box turtles to an undercover agent in New York. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement leads the investigation, with support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

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Images showed the baby crocodile and another caiman recovered from the vehicle at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. The caimans did not survive to receive care at the San Diego Zoo, as reported by federal prosecutors.

Chavez and Pelayo face charges under the Lacey Act, with potential penalties of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Jasmine Baehr, a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital, covers topics including politics, military matters, legal debates, and culture.