Galápagos marine iguana trafficking

A series of wildlife trafficking incidents involving Galápagos marine iguanas has highlighted vulnerabilities in biosecurity between the archipelago and mainland Ecuador. In May 2026, twelve iguanas were seized from three Thai citizens at Guayaquil airport. This was followed in August by the detention of a Russian national at Quito’s Mariscal Sucre airport, who was found with 32 juvenile iguanas in her luggage. While the suspect claimed the animals were souvenirs, investigators noted she had no record of visiting the Galápagos, suggesting an organized network may be moving the species to the mainland via maritime or air routes.

These repeated seizures have sparked debate regarding potential negligence and gaps in scanning procedures by aviation and environmental authorities. In response to concerns that traffickers are successfully bypassing controls, Alicia Jaramillo, Vice Minister of Environment and Marine Coastal Affairs, stated that the interceptions demonstrate that current systems are working. The Ministry has noted the involvement of the Galápagos National Park Directorate, National Police, Interpol, and the Navy, and has introduced new tools including drones, scanners, and artificial intelligence to enhance monitoring across the coastline.

Following the August seizure, twenty-four of the recovered iguanas were returned to the Galápagos via air transport. Of the original 32 animals, eight died due to poor health conditions. The survivors have been placed in a temporary quarantine area for sanitary, epidemiological, and genetic monitoring. The Ecuadorian Ministry of Environment and Energy stated that reintroduction into the wild will only occur after individual assessments meet specific technical and sanitary criteria to ensure ecosystem biosecurity.