A Texas man was sentenced in federal court on Friday to four months in custody and 180 days in home confinement after smuggling six protected Mexican Spider Monkeys, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney's Office.
Sarmad Ghaled Dafar was also ordered to pay more than $23,000 in restitution for the cost of quarantining three monkeys at the San Diego Zoo.
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WATCH HEREThe monkeys are now at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago as part of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums Wildlife Confiscations Network. They are named: Chrissy, Jack and Janet.
The investigation began at the Calexico West Port of Entry in the summer of 2023, when Dafar's co-conspirator attempted to enter the U.S. with three baby Mexican spider monkeys. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found the monkeys and searched the co-conspirator's phone, which showed that the animals were being smuggled for Dafar.
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SIGN UP The U.S. Attorney's office also said that there was evidence that Dafar had smuggled at least three other baby Mexican spider monkeys between 2022-23; those monkeys have not been found.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife agency said that Mexican spider monkey mothers do not willingly relinquish their babies and will fight whoever tries to take their babies. They added that most poachers will kill or incapacitate the mother and troop in order to separate and take the babies.
The San Diego Zoo performed genetic tests on the smuggled babies and determined that each had a different mother.
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U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon insists that this type of smuggling of animals is especially worrisome as there are regulations in place to halt the spread of zoonotic diseases that can transfer from primates to humans:
Gordon released the following statement connected to the case:
“This crime ripped weeks-old baby monkeys from their mothers, disrupted fragile ecosystems, endangered a vulnerable species and posed significant public health risks. This is not merely an economic crime; it is a severe and lasting injury to both wildlife and public safety. Border security is not just about interdicting drugs and preventing illegal entries. It also involves protecting the public from dangerous diseases. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service contributes to securing our borders and keeping the public safe.”
Dafar was ordered to surrender on or before May 29, 2025.
