Local woman sent to prison for unlawfully smuggling expensive poultry from Southeast Asia

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 47-year-old Aransas Pass resident has been ordered to prison for smuggling over 60 rare Dong Tao chickens into the country.

Jennifer Mayo pleaded guilty July 30, 2025.

U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Mayo to serve 24 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional testimony regarding the serious risk of disease that the poultry presented, the numerous dead birds found on Mayo's property, and how Mayo repeatedly lied to law enforcement. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Mayo's conduct was extremely serious and put a lot of animals at risk.

The investigation began in 2023 after authorities discovered Facebook messages in which Mayo discussed traveling to Southeast Asia to obtain Dong Tao chicken eggs.

Dong Tao chickens aka Dragon chickens are a rare, expensive breed native to Vietnam that are recognized for their unusually large legs. Federal law prohibits the importation of poultry from regions affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza or Newcastle disease unless specific import requirements are met. Vietnam and Cambodia are among the regions subject to those restrictions.

Mayo smuggled approximately 60 fertilized Dong Tao chicken eggs into the United States by concealing them on her body and in her luggage. She intended to hatch the birds and sell them for breeding, eggs, and meat. Upon questioning, Mayo falsely claimed the chickens had died.

Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Mayo's residence where they discovered five surviving chickens suffering from disease, along with other dead and dying birds. The five birds were the only surviving Dong Tao chickens from the original shipment.

Due to the risk of spreading disease to other flocks, veterinarians determined the birds could not be removed from the property and were humanely euthanized.

As part of her plea, Mayo admitted knowing the eggs could not legally be imported into the United States.

She was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Department of Agriculture, Texas Animal Health Commission, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Foster and Liesel Roscher prosecuted the case.