Man Charged For Putting 3 Snakes In His Pants in New York

On July 15, 2018, a bus traveling through northern New York is thought to have carried the disguised snakes, according to Calvin Bautista, 36. At the border crossing between the United States and Canada, a guy from New York City was accused of carrying three Burmese pythons in his jeans. An international treaty and federal legislation that identify Burmese pythons as "injurious to humans" govern their importation. According to a press release from the office of U.S. Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Bautista, of Queens, was arraigned on the federal smuggling allegation on Tuesday in Albany and released pending trial. An email was sent to Bautista's attorney for a response. According to federal prosecutors, the charge carries a possible penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. The Burmese python, one of the biggest snakes in the world, is a threatened species in its native Asia and an invasive species in Florida where it poses a threat to local wildlife.