A New Yorker was arraigned Tuesday on charges of smuggling in three Burmese pythons through the Champlain border crossing with Canada.
Calvin Bautista of Queens is accused of smuggling the snakes by hiding them in his pants as he rode a bus from Canada to the United States on July 15, 2018.
He faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of as much as $250,000, according to federal prosecutors.
Burmese pythons are governed both by international treaties regulating their importation and by federal law listing them as “injurious to human beings,” according to the Associated Press.
The constrictor snakes are capable of strangling humans by coiling their muscled bodies around the chest and windpipe.
Escaped Burmese pythons have colonized habitats like the Everglades, where they have become known for preying on alligators.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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