QUITO, Ecuador — A Russian woman accused of trying to smuggle at least 32 marine iguanas from the Galapagos Islands out of Ecuador was arrested Saturday, authorities in the South American country said.
Police said on X that the iguanas were distributed in eight plastic containers inside a suitcase, adding that the woman was at the airport in Quito and was headed to Iceland.
Ecuador’s Ministry of Environment said the iguanas were feeble and dehydrated, and that a group of veterinarians transferred them to a conservation center, where they would remain until their health improves.
The Russian woman was not identified, but police said they expected to charge her with wildlife trafficking. If found guilty, she could face up to three years in prison.
The marine iguanas from the Galapagos Islands are an endemic species and considered vulnerable.
The archipelago was declared a National Heritage of Humanity in 1979 by UNESCO given its great biodiversity. It is located in the Pacific Ocean, some 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) west of Ecuador.
