69 live animals found stuffed in pillowcases in hidden car compartment after border arrest: Feds

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Former federal security director Keith Jeffries describes how screening technology can detect unusual contents in baggage when suspected wildlife violations emerge during travel. A woman identified by federal prosecutors as a Tijuana resident was arrested at the U.S.-Mexico border before U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 69 live animals — including venomous vipers, caimans and a baby crocodile — allegedly stuffed inside taped-shut pillowcases in a hidden compartment of her Volkswagen the following day, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. Georgina Bribiesca Chavez, 66, of Tijuana, was arrested Aug. 10 while attempting to enter the U.S. through the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the Justice Department said. Chavez allegedly told a CBP officer she had nothing to declare, but a records check re