Two men indicted for alleged bird smuggling

A man who allegedly flew from Vietnam to Los Angeles with 14 live birds hidden in his pants was one of two men indicted on smuggling-related charges today by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles.

Duc Le, 34, and Sony Dong, 46, are charged in an eight-count indictment with conspiring to smuggle dozens of birds into the United States, including red-whiskered bulbuls, magpie robins and shama thrushes.

Both men were arrested last month after investigators determined that Dong had 14 birds fastened to pieces of cloth around his calves, said Asst. U.S. Atty. Mark Williams. A subsequent search revealed dozens more illicit birds, officials said.

-- Scott Glover

Photo: Officials search the legs of a suspect in the bird-smuggling case. Credit: U.S. attorney's office.

Comments

[Dave Atkins]

I believe the headline should read two men indicted for alledgely smuggling birds.

Either they're birds or they're not. I doubt they duct taped bills to cats and called them birds.

[Arthur]

Whats wrong with those birds? Are they not allowed in the U.S.? Besides the fact that the birds were mistreated, are those birds equivalent to owning a panther?

[Jage]

Vietnam is on the Avian Influenza embargo list, and the birds could possibly be a threat to California crops. Good work!