Mexico-U.S. endangered parrot trafficking enforcement

Authorities in Mexico and the United States have engaged in efforts to combat the illegal trafficking of protected parrot species.

Following a seizure by the Texas Border Patrol on September 17, a group of 26 parrots—including five yellow-headed parrots and 21 white-crowned parrots—was repatriated to Mexico through a bilateral effort involving the U.S. Embassy and Mexico’s Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat). The birds were transferred to the Ecopark Matamoros Wildlife Conservation Management Unit for a 45-day sanitary quarantine to screen for diseases like avian influenza.

In a separate incident in Hidalgo, Mexico, the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) seized four parrots, including yellow-headed and yellow-cheeked species, in Atotonilco El Grande after receiving a citizen report. These birds were found in poor condition and lacked legal documentation. Both the yellow-headed and white-crowned parrots involved in these operations are protected under Mexican law and CITES agreements.