Guyanese Man Arrested From JFK Airport For Smuggling 35 Finches In Clothes

A Guyanese man landed in trouble as he tried to smuggle 35 finches from Guyana into JFK Airport on Monday.

The 36-year-old man, Kevin Andre McKenzie, flew to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on a JetBlue flight. He was pulled aside by Customs and Border Protection officers. After a search, they found the birds. Following which, he was charged with unlawfully importing the finches.

According to a federal criminal complaint, he said that he was offered $3,000 to smuggle the birds -- $500 before his flight and $2,500 on delivery.

McKenzie was taken to Brooklyn federal court and released on a $25,000 bond, reported New York Daily News. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

Photographs showed that the finches were hidden inside hair rollers sealed with perforated netting. They were attached to the inside of McKenzie's jacket and the top of his shoes, reported CNN.

One bird can sell for $10,000 to interested buyers after they’re entered in songbird competitions in Brooklyn and Queens, the complaint said.

“In such contests, often conducted in public areas like parks, two finches sing and a judge selects the bird determined to have the best voice. Many who attend the singing contests wager on the birds. A finch who wins these competitions becomes valuable and can sell for more than $10,000,” the complaint reads.

Some of the finches also compete in “bird races,” where the first one that chirps 50 times or chirps the most within a given time frame, and is declared as the winner.

It is believed that finches from the small South American country chirps faster than others.

James Darrow, McKenzie's attorney, has not commented on the matter. It is unclear whether anyone else was arrested in this case.

According to government regulations listed in the complaint, an import permit is necessary and birds need to be quarantined for 30 days to prevent the spread of contagious diseases.

This isn't the first time someone has attempted to smuggle the birds. Two years ago, Francis Gurahoo from Connecticut, also tried to smuggle 34 finches into JFK from Guyana. He pleaded guilty in 2020. He could face two years in prison during his June sentencing.