Border inspector finds protected birds in man's pants. Here's how he tried to explain it

[Zorro]

The embellishment was so far-fetched, its chances of being believed were less than a wing and a prayer.

When U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents questioned what was behind the “abnormally bulging” groin of a Tijuana resident as he attempted to cross the border late last year, the 35-year-old responded it was just part of his natural male anatomy, according to federal court documents.

But inspection officers weren’t buying it. Officers searched him and found two emaciated and potentially sedated orange-fronted parakeets — the victims of an alleged botched smuggling attempt — stuffed in his underwear, according to court documents.

Jesse Agus Martinez, a U.S. citizen, was charged with one felony count of importation contrary to law following the Oct. 23 incident. He has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial. Calls to attorneys representing Martinez and the government were not immediately returned.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-01-30/border-inspector-finds-birds-in-pants-of-man-how-did-he-explain-it