Officials report that a man has been sentenced subsequent to his attempt to smuggle three Burmese pythons concealed in his pants while crossing the border from Canada to the United States.
According to a press release from the United States Attorney’s office, Northern District of New York, Calvin Bautista, a 38-year-old resident of Richmond Hill, New York, was sentenced this week to one year of probation and ordered to pay a fine of $5,000.
Prior to his recent sentencing, Bautista, hailing from Queens, had confessed to the act of smuggling the serpents in July 2018 while traveling on a bus traversing the US-Canada border at the Champlain port of entry in Clinton County, New York, as per officials.
Customs and Border Protection Officers made the discovery of the snakes within a compact bag affixed to his pants, positioned proximate to his inner thigh, during their inspection of his passport and subsequent search.
Bautista entered a guilty plea in court in June 2023, approximately eight months before his sentencing.
The attorney’s office specifies that the maximum penalty for the offense he committed includes “20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years.”
Burmese Pythons: Invasive and Destructive
As per the findings of the United States Geological Survey, Burmese pythons present in South Florida rank prominently among the invasive species of greatest concern within Everglades National Park.
Furthermore, research conducted by the scientific agency indicates that the proliferation of pythons has led to significant reductions in the populations of various native species. Specifically, since 1997, there has been a sharp decline in the populations of raccoons by 99.3%, opossums by 98.9%, and bobcats by 87.5%.
Burmese pythons, recognized as one of the largest snake species globally, originate from Asia where they are categorized as a vulnerable species.
However, a substantial population of these pythons has established itself in Florida following the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
Since then, they have established habitats in the Florida Everglades and surrounding regions. With few natural predators present, the pythons have flourished in Florida, leading to concerns about their impact on local wildlife, thereby earning them the classification of an invasive species.