Fla man pleads guilty to smuggling birds from Cuba

My Fox Spokane Biz
Fla man pleads guilty to smuggling birds from Cuba

MIAMI (AP) - A Miami man faces up to 20 years in prison for allegedly trying to smuggle birds from Cuba into the United States in his pants.

The U.S. Attorney's office says Alberto Diaz Gonzalez pleaded guilty Thursday to attempting to import undeclared wildlife from the Caribbean island. He is scheduled to be sentenced in February.

Diaz's federal public defender did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday.

Diaz returned to Miami from Havana on Oct. 20. Court documents show he told U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials in Miami that he was not carrying any wildlife.

But authorities say when officers searched Diaz, they found 16 Cuban bullfinches hidden in his pants. They say Diaz admitted the birds were from Cuba and that he planned to sell them.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Most Popular Stories

UPDATE: Wrong-Way Crash On Hwy. 195 At Cheney Spokane Rd.

UPDATE: Wrong-Way Crash On Hwy. 195 At Cheney Spokane Rd.
UPDATE: The female driver has been identified as Jennifer A. Schmidt of Spokane Valley. The male driver has been identified as Sean D. Moss. Both Schmidt and Moss were life-flighted by Medstar to Sacred Heart. The State Patrol says both vehicles were totaled and both drivers were wearing seatbelts

NASA picks 8 new astronauts, 4 of them women

NASA picks 8 new astronauts, 4 of them women
By MARCIA DUNNAP Aerospace Writer CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - NASA has eight new astronauts - its first new batch in four years. Among the lucky candidates: the first female fighter pilot to become an astronaut in nearly two decades. A female helicopter pilot also is in the group. In fact, four of

FIRST ON KHQ.COM: Spokane Valley Homeowner Catches Would Be Burglar; Holds Suspect At Gunpoint Until Authorities Arrive

FIRST ON KHQ.COM: Spokane Valley Homeowner Catches Would Be Burglar; Holds Suspect At Gunpoint Until Authorities Arrive
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE SPOKANE VALLEY POLICE DEPT: On Tuesday, June 18, 2013, at 9:15 a.m., Spokane Valley Sheriff's Deputies responded to a person with a weapon call near the area of 13600 E. 20th Ave. Deputies arrived on scene and found the victim homeowner detaining the suspect, later