This happened when the country’s police discovered animals in a suitcase.
Marine iguanas are an endemic species of Ecuador’s protected archipelago. This UNESCO World Heritage site, known for its unique flora and fauna, is located about 1,000 kilometers off the country’s coast in the Pacific Ocean.
According to police data, the woman was traveling to Iceland and was detained at Quito airport on Friday when officers found iguanas hidden in eight plastic boxes in the suitcase.
The Ministry of Environment stated that the iguanas were found “weakened and dehydrated.”
On Saturday, a judge ordered preventive detention for the woman on suspicion of a “crime against flora and wildlife,” the prosecutor’s office reported.
The case is scheduled to be heard on September 18, the institution informed on the social network “X”.
She faces up to three years in prison for this crime if found guilty.
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