The Federal Attorney General’s Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa) and the National guard they assured 774 turtles that were illegally transferred from the State of Mexico toward Tijuanahidden in a shipment disguised as “cosmetics”.
The specimens, wrapped in socks and hidden inside plastic containers stacked in nine cardboard boxes, were detected on November 12 by members of the National Guard during an inspection in the parcel area of the Tijuana airport. Upon opening the packages, officers found the reptiles inside the clear containers.
The shipment did not have documentation proving the legal origin of the turtles nor did it have a recipient to claim it. Preliminary information from Profepa indicates that both the sender and the recipient are Chinese nationals.
Inspectors from Profepa in Baja California went to the site to count and review the status of the specimens. It was confirmed that they were freshwater turtles of the genera Kinosternon and Trachemys. Of the 774 specimens, four had died, while the rest were in apparently stable health conditions.
It should be noted that all species of the genus Kinosternon are included in Appendix II of CITES, except Kinosternon cora, which appears in Appendix I. In addition, specimens included in NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010 were located, which indicates that they are under some risk category.
Profepa announced that it has already started the corresponding administrative procedure, while the National Guard notified the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) to carry out the investigations and determine responsibilities.
The 774 turtles were transferred to a Wildlife Conservation Management Unit (UMA), where they will receive care in adequate conditions for their protection.
MF