Ecuadorian authorities arrested a Russian woman on Saturday for attempting to smuggle at least 32 marine iguanas from the Galapagos Islands out of the country, officials said. The iguanas were found in eight plastic containers inside a suitcase at the airport in Quito, where the woman was headed to Iceland, according to a statement on X by Ecuador's police.
The Ministry of Environment said the iguanas were weak and dehydrated, and that veterinarians transferred them to a conservation center where they will stay until their health improves. The woman was not identified, but police said they expect to charge her with wildlife trafficking, which carries a penalty of up to three years in prison if convicted.
Marine iguanas are endemic to the Galapagos and considered vulnerable. The archipelago, located in the Pacific Ocean about 1,000 kilometers west of Ecuador, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 for its unique biodiversity.