NOGALES, Ariz. — Twenty-seven parrots were recently seized from a vehicle attempting to pass through the Nogales port of entry in southern Arizona.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said inspectors found two lilac-crowned Amazon parrots and 25 white-fronted Amazon parrots concealed inside a crate with a dark cloth covering it on the car's passenger seat.
CBP estimated the birds could each be worth up to $3,000.
The Amazon birds are protected under a multilateral treaty intended to guard endangered plants and animals from getting exported to other countries.
CBP said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be pursuing a criminal case against the people suspected of trying to smuggle the birds into the U.S.
>> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
UP TO SPEED
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.