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Photo: Loren Elliott, AP Image 1 of / 6 Caption Close Image 1 of 6 ADVANCE FOR USE SATURDAY. AUG 5 - In this July 20, 2017 photo, a tiger named Seth rests above a pond at Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Fla. Big Cat Rescue is a nonprofit sanctuary committed to humane treatment of rescued animals, often coming from exploitive for-profit operations. (Loren Elliott/ Tampa Bay Times via AP) less ADVANCE FOR USE SATURDAY. AUG 5 - In this July 20, 2017 photo, a tiger named Seth rests above a pond at Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Fla. Big Cat Rescue is a nonprofit sanctuary committed to humane treatment of ... more Photo: Loren Elliott, AP Image 2 of 6 ADVANCE FOR USE SATURDAY. AUG 5 - In this July 20, 2017 photo, founder Carole Baskin walks the property at Big Cat Rescue at Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Fla. Big Cat Rescue is a nonprofit sanctuary committed to humane treatment of rescued animals, often coming from exploitive for-profit operations. (Loren Elliott/ Tampa Bay Times via AP) le...

[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...

Published: Thursday, August 24, 2017 @ 4:24 PM Updated: Thursday, August 24, 2017 @ 4:22 PM San Diego — A California teenager who says he bought a Bengal tiger cub on the streets of Tijuana for $300 was arrested when he tried to bring it into the United States in his 2017 Chevy Camaro. Luis Eudoro Valencia was charged with smuggling a Bengal tiger into the United States after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials found the furry cub lying on the floor of the passenger side of his car during an inspection around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Otay Mesa border crossing . "CBP officers are often faced with unusual situations," said Pete Flores, director of field operations for Customs and Border Protection in San Diego. The 18-year-old U.S. citizen, who lives in Perris, said he had purchased the tiger for $300 from someone who was walking a full-sized tiger on a leash in Tijuana, according to court documents. Several Bengal tigers, which are native to South Asia, have b...