ARANSAS PASS, Texas – A Texas woman pleaded guilty on Thursday to smuggling rare chickens from Vietnam and Cambodia into the United States.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Jennifer Mayo admitted to illegally smuggling 60 Dong Tao chicken eggs in August 2023 and attempting to hatch them at her home in Aransas Pass, a community in the Corpus Christi area that’s about 160 miles southeast of San Antonio.
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Mayo told officials all of the chickens that had hatched died, but several of them were found roaming around her home.
The chickens had to be euthanized because of their health, the press release said.
Dong Tao chickens, also known as Dragon chickens, are rare and native to Southeast Asia. They are originally from Dong Tao, Vietnam, and are known for their long, thick legs.
According to the release, it’s illegal to import fowl to the US from areas like Vietnam, which have areas with severe strains of avian influenza or Newcastle disease.
Mayo faces up to 20 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine when she is sentenced on Jan. 23.
