A man in New Mexico who allegedly imported a Bengal tiger cub from Mexico to the U.S. last year has been indicted on federal charges.
David Mendoza-Enriquez, 40, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Friday with conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act, a law that prohibits the importation, transport, and sale of certain wildlife in the U.S.
Mendoza-Enriquez was charged along with 15 other defendants who face drug trafficking charges in a separate indictment.
The Bengal tiger cub was found by Albuquerque police in a dog crate after officers followed a trail of blood into a trailer on Jan. 10, 2023.
Prosecutors said Mendoza-Enriquez had planned to sell the tiger for more than $16,000 through Facebook.
The tiger, named "Duke" was initially taken into the Albuquerque Biopark Zoo but has since been transferred to the wildlife sanctuary in Keenesburg, Colorado.
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