Three pythons seized on board a bus leaving from Montreal, a man charged

An American arrested aboard a Montreal-New York bus with three pythons hidden in his jogging pants has just been charged with illegally importing a controlled species into the United States. If found guilty, he faces a heavy prison sentence.

Vincent Larouche
The Press

Calvin Bautista, a 36-year-old New York City resident, appeared before a judge in Albany on Tuesday. Four years ago, on July 15, 2018, he was intercepted at the entrance to the United States, at the height of Lacolle, while he was on board a bus providing the link between Montreal and his city. residency, according to the indictment filed in court.

While inspecting the vehicle, US Border Services agents noticed something strange. “U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducted an inspection of a Greyhound coach arriving from Canada and noted visible bulges in the subject’s pants,” explained to The Press Mike Niezgoda, spokesman for the US federal agency. It was three Burmese pythons hidden in cloth bags inside the passenger’s clothes.

“No officer was bitten or injured during the investigation,” Mr. Niezgoda confirmed.

The three reptiles were extracted from the man’s pants and turned over to wildlife officers. They came from a pet store in Montreal. Anyone wishing to bring such animals into the United States must obtain permits related to the preservation of potentially endangered species, the protection of humans from animals that can cause injury, and the protection of ecosystems from invasive species. Burmese pythons are illegal in New York State. Mr. Bautista had no authorization, according to the authorities. He now faces a series of charges.

“The charges against Bautista carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 and probation of up to three years,” the Justice Department said in a statement.

Invasive species and disturbed ecosystems

The American authorities are particularly vigilant because of the proliferation of pythons in the wild in the marshes of the Everglades. These snakes do not occur naturally in the United States, but they began to spread when specimens sold as pets escaped or were deliberately set free by humans.

Since then, they have greatly reduced the population of rabbits, opossums and raccoons that serve as their prey.

Last summer, when launching a contest encouraging citizens to catch as many pythons as possible to remove them from the environment, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis highlighted the threat that these snakes pose to the region.

“The Everglades are one of the world’s most prized natural resources, and we have invested record sums in Everglades restoration projects, including record funding for the removal of the invasive Burmese pythons that are wreaking havoc on the landscape. ‘ecosystem,’ he said.