California man who tried smuggling in tiger cub from Mexico gets 6 months in prison

An 18-year-old Californian received six months in prison for smuggling a tiger.

ByABC News
February 21, 2018, 7:14 AM
A California teen is sentenced, Feb. 20, 2018, to six months in prison for smuggling an endangered tiger cub across the U.S.-Mexico border.
A California teen is sentenced, Feb. 20, 2018, to six months in prison for smuggling an endangered tiger cub across the U.S.-Mexico border.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection San Diego

— -- A California man has been sentenced to six months in prison for smuggling an endangered tiger cub into the U.S. from Mexico.

Prosecutors argued that cell phone data showed that Luis Valencia was running an animal-trafficking business, according to the Associated Press.

PHOTO: The confiscated Bengal tiger cub was transferred to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park where it was given a clean bill of health by the zoo's principal veterinarian.
The confiscated Bengal tiger cub was transferred to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park where it was given a clean bill of health by the zoo's principal veterinarian.

The 18-year-old's lawyer said in court Tuesday that Valencia had "a lapse in judgement" and wanted the cub as a pet, the AP reported. Valencia was arrested in August of 2017 after officers searched his car at the border, attempting to reenter California.

The cub, which was five or six weeks old at the time, was transferred to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, where it was given a clean bill of health.

PHOTO: Customs and Border Patrol San Diego posted this photo of a Bengal tiger cub which was smuggled from Mexico into the U.S.
Customs and Border Patrol San Diego posted this photo of a Bengal tiger cub which was smuggled from Mexico into the U.S.

The bengal tiger is endangered, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

It's illegal to own a tiger in the U.S. without a permit.

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