13 Parrots Found Hidden In Duffel Bags At CA Border

SAN DIEGO, CA — Authorities discovered 13 parrots hidden in duffel bags in a vehicle trying to cross into the United States, officials announced Tuesday.

The yellow-headed parrots were seized June 16 at the San Ysidro Port of Entry between San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. A 26-year-old man in a 2010 sedan had the birds in two duffel bags in the trunk of the car.

The driver was detained for attempted smuggling and turned over to Homeland Security Investigators and Fish and Wildlife Services for further processing, officials said.

The birds were seized by Fish and Wildlife, and then flown last week to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal Import Center in New York, a CBP spokesperson told Patch. The birds will undergo a 30-day quarantine to ensure that they are healthy and not carrying any exotic animal diseases.

"The final disposition of the birds is not decided," the spokesperson said. "Usually, they end up at an accredited zoo or other institution. Typically, the birds will not be available for adoption by the public."