3,427 trafficked baby turtles rescued in Mexico

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Wildlife trafficking of turtles, parrots, and more in Mexico—with most transactions conducted on social media—is threatening the country’s revered biodiversity. In Hispanic America as a whole, a 2024 report documented a total of 1,945 seizures and poaching incidents highlighted by media between 2017 and 2022, impacting at least 102,577 wild animals. The report includes two seizures in Mexico that rescued a total of 29,502 mud turtles and musk turtles in 2020.

Turtles are once again in Mexico’s limelight, after authorities announced the rescue of 3,427 freshwater turtle hatchlings at a checkpoint along the San Cristóbal-Chiapa de Corzo highway. The small reptiles were being transported in overcrowded cardboard boxes by a suspect authorities called “José ‘N.’”

[ Related: Giant three-pound rats trained to sniff out illegal poaching. ]

“Security forces caught José ‘N’ in the act of illegally transporting more than 3,000 turtles commonly known as hicotea turtles,” reads a translated statement by the Federal Attorney General’s Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa). “The specimens were being transported without documentation proving their legal origin, which constitutes a violation of current environmental regulations.”

The seizure came within the context of a broader surveillance operation by Mexican authorities against illegal wildlife trafficking. The turtles are Meso-American sliders (Trachemys venusta), according to the statement. Given their overexploitation in Mexico, Meso-American sliders are currently “subject to special protection.”

several plastic boxes containing turtles — *The turtles were found in crowded boxes. CREDIT: Federal Attorney General’s Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa).*

“As a result, the authorities handed José ‘N’ over to the Public Prosecutor’s Office and informed Profepa so that it could secure the specimens, which were taken to a registered Environmental Management Unit (UMA), where they are currently receiving medical care and assessment,” the statement continues.

Profepa initiated the appropriate administrative procedures and is supporting the Attorney General’s Office’s investigation. They are also monitoring the turtle hatchlings, and will prioritize returning them to their natural environment if possible.

The statement ends with a reminder that illegal wildlife trafficking seriously damages Mexico’s biodiversity, and that citizens should report illegal wildlife activities.