An 18-year-old Perris man was arrested by Customs and Border Protection officers and is now facing federal charges after authorities say he tried to bring a tiger cub into the United States on Wednesday to keep as his pet.

Luis Euodoro Valencia is charged with importing an endangered species into the U.S. without a permit, as well as smuggling, according to a federal complaint.

Valencia and a passenger were stopped at the Otay Mesa point of entry because the 2017 Chevrolet Camaro they were in did not have license plates on it, according to federal court documents.

Valencia and his passenger were then taken to a second inspection area where a Border Patrol officer shined a flashlight and discovered the tiger cub in between his passenger’s legs.

The passenger at first told the officer that it was a cat, not a tiger, that he was looking at but later ended up providing the officer with paperwork saying the animal was a tiger, the document says.

During an interview, Valencia told investigators that he was in Tijuana on Monday, Aug. 21, when he saw a man walking a full-size tiger on a leash and asked him about it.

He said that’s when the man offered to sell him the tiger cub for $300, according to the document.

Valencia later revised his story, officials say, and told the officers that he had been in communication with the tiger seller as early as Friday and met with him on Monday to pick up the cub.

He said he intended to take the large wild cat back to his home and keep it for a pet, the document says.

Agents from U.S. Fish and Wildlife have since taken custody of the cub and are working with the San Diego Zoo to “ensure its well-being,” according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection news release.

Other exotic animals in the Inland Empire:

Hemet couple sentenced for smuggling 911 endangered sea turtle eggs

Tiger cub found in Hemet area dies