Customs officials said they seized three highly venomous king cobra snakes that were being smuggled into the country earlier this year inside potato chip cans.
The two-foot-long snakes were shipped from Hong Kong to California in March and were intended for Rodrigo Franco, 34, according to the Los Angeles Times.
A crocodile, three alligator snapping turtles and five diamond back terrapins also were seized from Franco over the past year, the Times reported.
Officials searched Franco’s Monterey Park home in March and found a tank with a crocodile and turtles inside his children’s bedroom, according to the Times.
Franco was charged with one count of illegally importing merchandise into the United States. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in federal prison, authorities said.
Read more at the Los Angeles Times.
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