Texas Woman Pleads Guilty to Smuggling 60 Extremely Rare, Expensive Chickens That All Died

An Aransas Pass woman has pled guilty to a federal indictment that accused her of smuggling a rare, expensive breed of chickens into the United States.

According to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Southern District of Texas, a woman from Aransas Pass appeared in federal court on October 24 to plead guilty to a wildlife smuggling charge.

Authorities assert that 46-year-old Jennifer Mayo illegally brought 60 Dong Tao chicken eggs into the United States from Cambodia and Vietnam in August 2023.

Dong Tao chickens, also called Dragon chickens, are an exceptionally rare breed that are native to Southeast Asia. The breed is characterized by their unmistakably large, thick legs.

According to one hobbyist source, a single adult Dong Tao chicken is worth $2,000.

Currently, the import of any type of fowl from areas afflicted by highly contagious strains of avian influenza or Newcastle disease is strictly prohibited unless strict criteria are met.

Mayo did not follow federal protocol when bringing the Dong Tao eggs into the United States.

Mayo had initially reported to law enforcement that all the chickens that hatched from the eggs had died. However, when agents conducted follow-up visits to the property owned by Mayo, they found several live Dong Tao chickens.

The live specimens were subsequently euthanized due to their poor health.

Mayo's sentencing is scheduled for January 23, 2025. She faces up to 20 years in federal prison and up to $250,000 in fines.

She remains on bond pending the January hearing.

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Gallery Credit: Sarah Clark/TSM