Posted on 11/23/2024 8:46:30 AM PST by DFG
What started as a Texas farmer’s love for exotic chickens has led to armed federal agents storming her farm, killing her prized birds, and a possible 20-year prison sentence for bringing rare eggs into the country.
Jennifer Mayo, who owns a chicken farm in South Texas, has found herself at the center of a federal smuggling case that has destroyed her business and left her fighting for her freedom.
The farmer’s story begins with a passion project that grew into a flourishing business enterprise. She started with nine birds about five years ago. Her collection eventually expanded into 39 different breeds of chickens, and her farm became a local attraction, drawing visitors from her community.
“Our local newspaper did a little article about it becoming kind of a roadside attraction,” Mayo told me in a podcast interview (see video below). Her focus on rare and exotic breeds like the Dong Tao, which are native to Vietnam, helped her stand out from other chicken farming operations.
Mayo’s ordeal began in 2023 when she traveled to Vietnam to visit her brother. During her trip, she purchased Dong Tao eggs from a government-operated farm.
Confident that she had followed all of the rules, she brought the eggs back to the United States. She passed multiple customs inspections without an issue.
“I told the lady [in Vietnam], ‘I’m taking these eggs to America if they let me,’ and she was like, ‘Oh, that’s great,’” Mayo recalled.
Mayo went through customs in the Philippines on her way back to Texas. The eggs were inspected before she boarded the plane. “They searched through my bags. The guy said, ‘What kind of egg is this?’ And I said, ‘It’s chicken. Chicken eggs.’ He said, ‘Okay,’ and sent me on my way.”
(Excerpt) Read more at redstate.com ...
These a_holes go after someone for a few eggs, but the scumbag foreigners who brought their boa constrictors and weird voracious fish species to our shores walk free...
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