Authorities in Ecuador seize 32 marine iguanas at the airport and arrest a Russian woman

Authorities in Ecuador seized 32 marine iguanas at the airport and arrested a Russian woman, officials said on Saturday. The iguanas were allegedly found in eight plastic containers inside a suitcase, authorities reported via X. The woman was traveling from Quito to Iceland when she was apprehended. Ecuador's Ministry of Environment informed that the iguanas were weak and dehydrated, and are now being cared for at a conservation center until their health improves.

The Russian woman involved in the case has not been publicly identified, but authorities anticipate charging her with wildlife trafficking. If convicted, she could receive a sentence of up to three years in prison. The marine iguanas, native to the Galapagos Islands, are an endemic species classified as vulnerable. The Galapagos Islands were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979 due to their remarkable biodiversity.