Teen charged after allegedly smuggling baby tiger into Californi - KTVQ.com | Q2 | Continuous News Coverage
[embedded content] OTAY, Calif. - A Bengal tiger cub that was illegally trafficked into California from Mexico has been rescued, and the 18-year-old man accused of smuggling the endangered animal into the U.S. has been charged in the case, federal authorities said Thursday. Luis Eudoro Valencia , of Perris, allegedly had the tiger cub - which is protected under the Endangered Species Act - in his vehicle when he drove a 2017 Chevy Camaro into the Otay Mesa Port of Entry at around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to a news release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The tiger cub was discovered during a secondary inspection, on the floor of the front passenger side of the Chevy, authorities said. When asked if the animal was a tiger, a 21-year-old passenger told officers it was "just a cat," a criminal complaint stated . Valencia allegedly failed to declare it to officers prior to the inspection, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release . Upon discoverin...