Parrot Smuggler Jailed

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Ricardo Alonzo, a San Diego man, was caught smuggling 17 protected parrots and parakeets into the United States on May 4, 2025, at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. He lied to customs officers, stating he had nothing to declare, but a secondary inspection revealed lunch box-sized bags hidden under the rear seat of his car containing the birds. The smuggling operation put the lives of the birds and wildlife within the United States at risk. Three of the 17 birds died due to Alonzo’s actions.

Alonzo’s sentence was three months in prison, and he was also ordered to pay $3,262 in restitution to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the care and quarantine of the parakeets. The investigation highlighted the critical work of law enforcement officers in protecting wildlife and natural resources from exploitation.

The case involved the illegal removal of vulnerable populations of Burrowing Parakeets, Yellow-Crowned Amazon Parrots, and Red-Lored Amazon Parrots from their habitat and smuggling them into the U.S. This undermined conservation efforts and circumvented controls meant to prevent the entry of zoonotic diseases and other pathogens into the U.S.

The U.S. Department of Justice, along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, worked together to bring Alonzo to justice. The collaboration demonstrates the commitment to holding accountable anyone who endangers wildlife and the public.