Foreign Citizen to Stand Trial over Alleged Trafficking of Galápagos Marine Iguanas

A Russian traveler is headed to trial in Ecuador after airport inspectors found 32 live Galápagos marine iguanas packed inside eight plastic containers.

The arrest took place on August 28, 2026, in the international departures area of Quito’s Mariscal Sucre Airport. Inspectors found four live reptiles in each container. The animals were allegedly being taken out of Ecuador without the administrative permits required to possess or transport wildlife.

The case involves Olga Gennadievna K. K., who had been passing through Ecuador. During a hearing on August 29, the Environmental Crimes Prosecutor presented evidence supporting the charges. A judge ordered pretrial detention and accepted the prosecutor’s request to resolve the case through a direct trial. The court set the proceeding for September 18, 2026.

The marine iguana, Amblyrhynchus cristatus, is endemic to Ecuador’s Galápagos archipelago. Ecuador’s 2005 Red List of Reptiles classifies it as vulnerable, as do International Union for Conservation of Nature standards. Moving the species requires scientific licenses or specialized administrative permits.

Prosecutors also noted that the species appears in Appendix I of the 2025 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. That framework identifies the reptile as threatened with extinction and prohibits its commercial sale. Ecuador’s case relies on Article 247 of the Comprehensive Organic Criminal Code, which covers crimes against wild flora and fauna.