A 47-year-old Aransas Pass woman has been sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for smuggling more than 60 rare Dong Tao chicken eggs into the United States from Southeast Asia.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales ordered Jennifer Mayo to serve the prison term, to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Mayo's conduct was extremely serious and put a lot of animals at risk.
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.
Dong Tao chickens, also known as Dragon chickens, are a rare, expensive breed native to Vietnam 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.
The investigation began in 2023 after authorities discovered Facebook messages in which Mayo discussed traveling to Southeast Asia to obtain Dong Tao chicken eggs.
Upon questioning by law enforcement, Mayo falsely claimed the chickens had died. Law enforcement then 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.
At the sentencing hearing, the court heard additional testimony regarding the serious risk of disease the poultry presented and the numerous dead birds found on Mayo's property.
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.
Mayo pleaded guilty July 30, 2025. As part of her plea, she 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 Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, the 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.
KRIS 6 previously reported on this case.
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