With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Songbird smuggler sings the blues
An unidentified songbird rests on charred branches near a desert marsh as recovery from a 2005 wildfire continues at Big Morongo Wildlife Preserve on April 11, 2007 in Morongo Valley, California.
(
David McNew/Getty Images
)
Listen
0:56
Songbird smuggler sings the blues
Songbird smuggler sings the blues
Back in March, U.S. customs officials at L.A. International Airport said they snared a man who’d tried to enter the country with live songbirds from Vietnam strapped onto his legs. KPCC’s Cheryl Devall says that on Tuesday, the suspect sang.
During a court appearance in May, the man, Sonny Dong, pleaded not guilty to a charge of illegally importing wildlife. Now, he’s changed his tune. In addition to 14 songbirds wrapped in cloth and secured under his pant legs, customs investigators found another 18 birds in Dong’s luggage.
Court papers say that five of the birds were dead after the 15-hour flight from Vietnam. Prosecutors say that Dong made multiple smuggling excursions between his home in Garden Grove and Vietnam, and that he catered to customers who were willing to pay as much as $400 for each bird.
Customs authorities have quarantined the living birds that Dong should have declared upon his arrival in the United States. The smuggling charge against him carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. An alleged accomplice who’s pleaded not guilty is scheduled to go on trial next month.
At LAist, we focus on what matters to our community: clear, fair, and transparent reporting that helps you make decisions with confidence and keeps powerful institutions accountable.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
