El Paso man pleads guilty to smuggling live animals worth millions across border

EL PASO, Texas -- An El Paso man pleaded guilty this week in federal court on charges of conspiring to traffic thousands of live reptiles, amphibians and birds, valued at more than $3.5 million.

Alejandro Carrillo pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Court Judge David Briones for the Western District of Texas.

Sentencing has been scheduled for Sept. 16.

According to documents filed with the court, beginning in 2016, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted Operation Bale Out, an investigation into a network of individuals involved in trafficking wildlife between the United States and Mexico.

"Bale" means a group of turtles, and much of the wildlife allegedly trafficked by this group involved rare turtles.

According to the court, Carrillo functioned as a middle man for the network, transporting live animals, many of which were designated as endangered under international law, from Mexico into the United States.

Carrillo pleaded guilty to two counts of an indictment charging him with conspiring to traffic wildlife into the United States and smuggle wildlife into the U.S.

As part of the plea, Carrillo admitted to being paid more than $92,000 to transport thousands of animals.

After transporting the animals, Carrillo then arranged for them to be delivered to U.S. customers who had pursed them from Mexico-based suppliers.