A Miami woman has been convicted of trying to smuggle 39 exotic birds from Cuba by hiding them in her motorized wheelchair.

Mercedes Ruiz, 54, was caught June 28, 2004, by a U.S. Department of Agriculture officer and QT, a member of the "Beagle Brigade", a team of dogs that inspect passengers and luggage at Miami International Airport, according to a release issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and several federal agencies.

The dog sniffed out the wheelchair after Ruiz returned from a two-day trip to Cuba via a connecting flight through the Bahamas, the release said. Inspectors found cloth pouches bungeed to the bottom of the chair. Inside were 39 birds crammed in plastic tubes the size of toilet tissue rolls. At least 9 were dead, said Tom MacKenzie, a wildlife service spokesman.

Ruiz pleaded guilty to 2 charges: lying on customs forms and attempting to illegally import wildlife, according to the release. Ruiz had been stopped 3 previous times for trying to sneak wildlife aboard planes to Miami.

She faces up to 5 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 on each count. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 18.

Update 11/8/05: Ruiz has been sentenced to house confinement for 6 months after pleading guilty to trying to smuggle 39 exotic birds from Cuba.

Ruiz was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alan S. Gold. She must wear an electronic sensor strapped to her ankle while serving her jail term at home. Also, she cannot travel to Cuba during a 2-year probation.

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