QUITO, Ecuador — A Russian national was arrested at the airport in Quito on Saturday after authorities discovered she was attempting to smuggle at least 32 marine iguanas out of the country on a flight to Iceland, Ecuadorian officials reported.
According to a police statement, the endangered reptiles were packed inside eight plastic containers within the traveler’s suitcase. Ecuador’s Ministry of Environment announced that the iguanas were found to be in a severely weakened and dehydrated state.
A team of local veterinarians successfully retrieved the animals and transported them to a nearby conservation center. Wildlife authorities stated that the iguanas will remain in care until their conditions improve sufficiently.
The suspect has not been publicly identified, but law enforcement officials confirmed that wildlife trafficking charges are anticipated. If found guilty, the individual could be sentenced to up to three years in prison.
Native to the Galapagos Islands, marine iguanas are a unique, endemic species classified as vulnerable by conservationists. The Galapagos Archipelago was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 due to its extraordinary biodiversity, sitting roughly 620 miles west of mainland Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean.
