Tag: Police Rescue

Moving pillowcase leads to discovery of venomous snakes, other reptiles hidden in car at border

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Several snakes emerging from beneath a patterned pillow on a bed

U.S. border agents found a collection of endangered reptiles when they noticed a pillowcase moving in a woman’s car after she was stopped at the border with Mexico due to an outstanding arrest warrant. Georgina Bribiesca Chavez, 66, of Tijuana, Mexico, was arrested earlier this month on wildlife trafficking charges after allegedly participating in a yearslong reptile smuggling scheme. She is accused of bringing exotic reptiles into and out of the U.S. with her alleged trafficking partner, Salvador Pelayo, who was arrested in July on a federal charge similar to hers, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.

Chavez was arrested while trying to cross the border from the U.S. into Mexico on Aug. 10, the office said. Realizing she had an outstanding arrest warrant related to a wildlife trafficking investigation, Customs and Border Protection officers took Chavez into custody and seized the vehicle.  As they searched the car the next day, officers discovered a hidden compartment behind one of its rear seats, which contained pillowcases that were tied and taped shut, according to the release. When one of the pillowcases appeared to move, the officers transferred them to the San Diego Zoo to be examined. Staff at the zoo opened the pillowcases. Inside, they found 60 abronia lizards, four venomous yellow-blotched palm pit vipers, three caimans, one baby crocodile and one indigo snake. Several of those species are considered endangered or threatened, and are protected by international agreements.

Stolen exotic reptiles were found inside pillowcases in a car that was trying to cross the U.S. border into Mexico. U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California

The three caimans died before they could receive care at the San Diego Zoo, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. “Even after her arrest, Chavez never told CBP officers about the live animals in her car, leaving them abandoned for nearly 24 hours in the August heat in San Ysidro,” the news release said. Officials said all of the other stolen reptiles were considered stable and under the care of the San Diego Zoo. “These animals were not cargo — they were living creatures subjected to dangerous conditions for profit,” U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said in a statement.

During her first court appearance on the trafficking charges on Tuesday, Chavez pleaded not guilty, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. They said her alleged partner, 28-year-old Pelayo, has also pleaded not guilty. Citing court documents, the office said Chavez and Pelayo started trafficking exotic reptiles into the U.S. in 2023 with the intent to sell them. Their activity prompted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to open an undercover investigation into the alleged scheme, which found that the two were involved in multiple undercover sales of protected turtles. They are accused of sending and receiving wildlife at shipping centers in the San Diego area.  Authorities have alleged that Chavez and Pelayo made tens of thousands of dollars from the sales of exotic animals. More from CBS News

Source: Moving pillowcase leads to discovery of venomous snakes, other reptiles hidden in car at border – CBS News

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
1 John 3:2-3

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Fisherman treads water for hours, miles off Cape Cod before rescue: “We were there for a reason”

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A fisherman who treaded water for hours several miles off the coast of Cape Cod was rescued after he was spotted by another fishing crew. The three-man crew aboard the fishing boat Seel Jr. had been in the home stretch of a nine-day trip Saturday when they changed course to lend a hand.  “A distress call came over the radio about 12:15 more or less from the Western Edge stating to the Coast Guard that he was missing a crewmember,” Joao DaSilva recalled.  Coincidentally, the captain of Western Edge used to own the Seel crew’s boat. They traveled in that direction for about an hour. Then suddenly, about eight miles off of Truro, they could hear cries for help.  

“As I’m going up the ladder Phil’s like ‘it’s either a seal or somebody’s head. I see something bobbing in front of the boat about 200 feet.’ I turned forward and there’s the lime green shirt and this dude waving his hand and he’s bobbing in the water. I’m like ‘that’s him! He’s right there! He’s alive!’ We just started crying,” DaSilva said.  Just a few months ago, the Seel crew spotted an orca off of P-Town. The rare sight is believed to be a good omen. It’s been a tragic year for the fishing community, making this outcome especially meaningful.  “It’s been a horrific year. It started with Lily Jean up in Gloucester, which was seven lives that were lost to the ocean. Tommy Williams – big part of the waterfront down in Connecticut. We had the Yankee Rose that went down off of P-Town which was out of New Bedford; two guys got lost there. It’s nice to pull somebody out of the water alive,” he said.  The man they rescued Saturday had been treading water for two and a half hours without a life jacket. The Seel crew tossed him a life ring and other floatation devices, and alerted the Coast Guard who arrived with a rescue swimmer to pull him to safety.  The man was treated for hypothermia. DaSilva said he’s already seen him back at the dock. “Saturday was just special,” DaSilva said. “We were there for a reason you know what I mean? And it wasn’t to catch fish on that last tow.”

Source: Fisherman treads water for hours, miles off Cape Cod before rescue: “We were there for a reason” – CBS Boston

Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”
Luke 9:23

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3 people rescued by Lake County, Illinois, Sheriff’s office after going missing in water near Lake Villa

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The Lake County, Illinois, Sheriff’s office Marine Unit rescued three swimmers they said otherwise could have drowned in a lake near Lake Villa this weekend. Around 2:50 p.m. Saturday, sheriff’s deputies were on patrol in Petite Lake in unincorporated Lake Villa with personal watercraft provided through the Sea-Doo public safety loan program. The operator of a rental boat with several people celebrating a bachelor party onboard flagged down the deputies, said he was inexperienced in operating boats, and was looking for three friends who had gone missing in the water, the sheriff’s office said. A search commenced, and the three were found about 100 yards from the rental boat, the sheriff’s office said.

They were showing signs of distress and trying to stay afloat. Deputies got to all the people in the water before any of them slipped beneath the surface, and got them all to grab onto a rescue bar on the Sea-Doo personal watercraft the deputies were using. All were rescued and got back on the rental boat, the sheriff’s office said. Lake County Sheriff’s Office The boat operator was not under the influence, but alcohol was a factor in why the three people ended up off the boat, the sheriff’s office said.   “We have worked hard over the years to build and strengthen our Marine Unit, and this is exactly why.  Three young adults who had been drinking and were not wearing life jackets could have lost their lives,” Lake County Sheriff John D. Idleburg said in a news release. “Because our Marine Unit was on the water and ready to respond, and thanks to our valued partnership with Nielsen Enterprises, which provides the personal watercraft our deputies use, they were rescued before tragedy struck.”

Source: 3 people rescued by Lake County, Illinois, Sheriff’s office after going missing in water near Lake Villa – CBS Chicago

For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.
James 3:2

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