A man in Los Angeles could face jail time for attempting to illegally import king cobra snakes into the country via cans used for potato chips. 34-year-old Rodrigo Franco tried to bring three of the snakes into the U.S from Hong Kong, but the delivery was stopped when it reached U.S. Customs and Border Control.
The shipment had been made on the 2nd of March, 2017 but Franco was not arrested until yesterday, July 25th. Franco admitted to authorities that this was not the first time he had imported such creatures from other countries. He claims that he also shipped the dangerous reptiles across the ocean to the U.S.
on two other occasions but that unfortunately, they did not survive the journey. It is reported that before this case, he imported twenty king cobra snakes altogether on two separate occasions.The three snakes were also accompanied by three albino Chinese soft-shelled turtles.
King cobras unveiled
The king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is known globally for being a creature to fear, but what exactly is the makeup of these amazing reptiles? According to National Geographic, the venomous snake "produces enough neurotoxin to kill an elephant with a single bite." The snake, which can grow to be as long as eighteen feet, is known to be extremely dangerous and has no problem confronting and attacking any person or animal that it feels threatened by.
The snakes reside mostly in Southeast Asia, China, and India and are often referred to as "charmers' snakes" as they can sometimes be seen "dancing" to flute music played by snake charmers in these countries. While they don't typically feed on large prey, favoring small animals and reptiles including other snakes, they are powerful enough to kill a human with just "two-tenths of a fluid ounce" of their venom which they have the ability to inject in one bite.
Franco faces a maximum of 20 years in jail
Smuggling non-native and exotic creatures into the country is a problem that is always being tackled by U.S. authorities. Not only are some of these animals hazardous to humans, but a lot of them can also wreck havoc on the country's own natural wildlife.
There have been many cases over the years where the accidental release or escape of such creatures has led to the extinction of native species or plant life.
There have also been cases of such animals landing in the country by way of food and goods imports. If found guilty, Franco could end up spending a maximum of 20 years in jail, however, the likelihood of him actually spending this much time behind bars is very small.
