SAN DIEGO — A California teenager charged with smuggling a Bengal tiger into the United States told a judge Thursday that he bought the animal on the streets of Tijuana, Mexico, where several of the endangered animals have been spotted this year.

Luis Eudoro Valencia was charged after border officials said they found the furry cub early Wednesday on the floor of a car heading from Mexico to California.

Valencia, a US citizen who lives in Perris, told the court that he had purchased the tiger for $300 from someone he met in the Mexican border city who was walking a full-sized tiger on a leash.

The cub was found during an inspection at San Diego’s Otay Mesa border crossing, US Customs and Border Protection said.

US Fish & Wildlife Service officials took custody of the cub and were working with the San Diego Zoo to care for it.

All species of tigers are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Importing an endangered species into the United States requires a permit from the US Fish & Wildlife Service and a declaration filed with the agency.

Prosecutors say Valencia lacked both.

Valencia was released on a $10,000 bond and ordered to appear for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 5. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.

Associated Press