Tiger cub confiscated at border in failed smuggling attempt

A tiger cub was confiscated and a teenager was arrested after officials said he tried to smuggle the exotic cat into the United States from Mexico.

The 18-year-old U.S. citizen, who was driving a 2017 Chevy Camaro and was accompanied by a 21-year-old man, was stopped at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday when agents inspecting the vehicle discovered the feline. It was lying on the front passenger-side floor, said agency spokeswoman Jackie Wasiluk in a press release.

The cat was removed from the car and placed in an animal crate until it was picked up by U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials, Wasiluk said.

The driver was taken into custody and taken to a federal facility where he is awaiting arraignment. His name was not released.

Tigers are listed on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora as animals that are illegal to purchase and own without a permit.

The cub is being cared for at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, zoo officials said.

Earlier this month, a Bengal tiger was seized after it fell from a third-floor balcony in a residential neighborhood in Tijuana. The 9-month-old female feline was taken to a zoo in Baja.

That seizure comes months after a 4-month-old male Bengal tiger was also confiscated after it was seen being walked on a leash by its owner.

That cub was taken to the Tijuana Zoo.

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