Cuban customs officials at the José Martí International Airport in Havana have arrested an individual for attempting to illegally export 28 birds.
William Pérez González, the first deputy chief of the General Customs of the Republic, verified the incident and posted it on his team's official X account, according to Cuba Headlines.
"Illegal extraction of 28 birds concealed in tubes attached to a passenger's body was thwarted at Havana Airport," Pérez González wrote. "Administrative measures were enforced, and the case was reported to the police."
#AduanadeCuba Frustra en el Aeropuerto de La Habana, la extracción ilegal del país de 28 aves ocultas en tubos adosados al cuerpo de un pasajero, se aplicaron las medidas administrativas y fue denunciado a la policía. Proteger la flora y la fauna es prioridad #FronteraSegura pic.twitter.com/TgShtLp44L
— Wiliam Pérez González (@vicejefeagr) February 4, 2026
No further information has been released regarding the traveler's identity, the species of birds involved, the intended destination, or the buyers. However, Pérez González reiterated that protecting plants and animals was a top priority for Cuban authorities, and they always perform strict customs checks at all transportation hubs.
It's important to highlight that the transport conditions were inhumane: there was no space for the animals to move, food and water were likely unavailable, and it was unclear how long they would be trapped.
Animals are trafficked for a multitude of reasons, including for trophies, meat, or to be kept as exotic pets. While larger animals like elephants and buffalo are more likely to be poached for their horns and tusks for material or medicinal purposes, smaller animals like frogs and birds are smuggled through awkward-sized luggage or while attached to a human.
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Similar cases have been seen elsewhere, such as attempts to smuggle elephant tusks and snakes in India, tarantulas from Germany, and stingrays in Bangladesh. This proves that authorities worldwide are cracking down on smugglers to protect animals from future disturbance.
Regardless of the size of the animal, poaching and trafficking strip delicate ecosystems of their biodiversity and are often taken from the most economically vulnerable areas of the world, according to the WWF. Without the balance of predators and prey, and plants and pollinators, the food chain and water sources will suffer.
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