A Los Angeles man was arrested on Tuesday after federal prosecutors said he arranged to smuggle into the United States three live, highly venomous king cobra snakes hidden in potato chip canisters. Rodrigo Franco, 34, was charged with illegally importing merchandise into the country in connection with a parcel from Hong Kong that was intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents on March 2 containing the 2-foot (0.61 meter)-long snakes concealed inside the canisters. Three albino Chinese soft-shelled turtles were also found in the package, prosecutors said, adding that Franco on that same day mailed a box to Hong Kong with six protected turtles inside.
Taiwan is prepared to defend itself against China if necessary, the self-ruled island's defense ministry said on Tuesday, in a strongly worded response to recent flybys by Chinese warplanes near the island China claims as a wayward province.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Oh, that dreaded open microphone!
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