A Texas man has been sentenced for trafficking baby Mexican spider monkeys into California. Sarmad Ghaled Dafar, 33, was caught smuggling six of these young primates, who were too small to be separated from their mothers, into San Diego. He was sentenced to four months in custody and 180 days of home confinement.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service discovered Dafar’s illegal activities in 2023 when agents intercepted three baby monkeys he was trying to smuggle across the border in Calexico. During the investigation, officials found messages on his phone indicating he was coordinating the smuggling and sale of these animals, which he advertised on Facebook.
It is illegal to own primates as pets in California, especially endangered species like the Mexican spider monkey. These infants require constant care, making their separation from their mothers particularly harmful. Prosecutors highlighted the severe impact of this crime, stating it not only endangers the monkeys but also disrupts ecosystems and poses public health risks.
After the seizure of the three monkeys, named Chrissy, Jack, and Janet, they were quarantined at the San Diego Zoo. Dafar was ordered to pay over $23,500 for their care. These monkeys have since been moved to the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, where they live with two other baby spider monkeys, Frankee and Bucees, who were also rescued from a separate smuggling incident.
Dafar’s illegal activities did not stop with the three monkeys. Investigators found he had previously smuggled at least three more baby spider monkeys in 2022 and 2023, and their current whereabouts remain unknown. These earlier animals were not quarantined, which is a legal requirement to prevent the spread of diseases from primates to humans.
Dafar believed that baby monkeys would be easier to smuggle than adults, as they are quieter and smaller. This case sheds light on the darker side of wildlife trafficking and the risks it poses not just to animals but also to public safety.