Man convicted of smuggling lizards in underwear

Thursday, Sept. 7, 2000 | 11:36 a.m.

A Las Vegas man has been convicted of smuggling a dozen lizards into the United States in his underwear.

Don D. Astorga, 31, was found guilty by U.S. District Judge Philip Pro after nearly three hours of testimony. Astorga had waived his right to a jury trial.

Las Vegas police Detective John Zidzik testified that he approached Astorga on June 9, 1999, at McCarran International Airport because the man looked unusual. Zidzik said Astorga had strange bulges in his groin area.

Although Astorga denied he had drugs, the officer suspected he was hiding a controlled substance and arrested him. The suspect told Zidzik he had lizards in his groin area and had obtained them in the Philippines, the detective testified.

Another detective testified that Astorga changed his story and said he purchased the lizards during his layover in Los Angeles.

Zidzik said he was granted permission to search Astorga's underwear and found several tube socks that had been cut in half, stuffed with lizards and taped shut.

Of the 12 lizards he found, Zidzik testified, nine had died. The detective said he also found an egg.

The longest lizard measured about 12 inches. The three surviving lizards included two monitor lizards, but the animals later died.

The bodies were sent to Russ Smith, curator of reptiles at the Los Angeles Zoo, who identified a Nile monitor, a water monitor and several geckos.

Smith testified that both monitor lizards, which are a protected species, appeared young. Nile monitors are indigenous to Africa, he said, but water monitors and geckos are indigenous to Southeast Asia.

A federal grand jury indicted Astorga in March on two counts of smuggling, a felony. Pro convicted him of both counts Wednesday. One count accused the defendant of violating the Endangered Species Act by engaging in the trade of monitor lizards.

The other accused him of violating various federal regulations by failing to declare all 12 lizards to the U.S. Customs Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Pro is scheduled to sentence Astorga on Dec. 8. Prosecutors say a sentence of probation to six months in prison is likely.