Traffickers of Galápagos Wildlife Receive Jail Sentence for Smuggling Attempt

SANTA CRUZ, Ecuador, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Galápagos Conservancy is disappointed that the criminals convicted in a June wildlife trafficking attempt have received the minimum prison sentence of just one year under Ecuadorian law. Wildlife trafficking endangers the ecological integrity of Galápagos, so we believe the offenders should have been sentenced to the maximum penalty of three years imprisonment.

On September 30, Freddy Alfonso C. R., Darío J. C. R., and Maria Petrona S. Ch. received the minimum sentence under Article 247 of Ecuador's criminal code, which punishes crimes against wild flora and fauna. The Attorney General's Office also imposed a fine of $29,050 on the perpetrators.

The sentencing stems from an incident on June 25 in which six people were apprehended on a boat 30 nautical miles from the province of Santa Elena (Ecuadorian mainland). They were transporting five Galápagos Land Iguanas (Conolophus subcristatus) and 84 juvenile Giant Tortoises. Iguanas and tortoises are listed as threatened on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

After reviewing the evidence gathered against the six people arrested and charged by the Ecuadorian Prosecutor's Office, the judge determined that three of them were unaware that the iguanas and tortoises were being transported on the boat and were thus found not guilty.

Following the veterinary examination, the recovered species were transferred to the Valdivia Marine Park in Manglaralto, Santa Elena, where they are being cared for as they await repatriation to Galápagos.

"Galápagos Conservancy is staunchly opposed to wildlife trafficking and is working to assist the Galápagos National Park Directorate and Ecuador's Ministry of Environment to capture and prosecute perpetrators and ensure strong jail sentences and fines are applied," said Dr. Paul Salaman, President of Galápagos Conservancy. "Our team is also working to help the swift repatriation of the smuggled wildlife."

Washington Tapia, General Director of Conservando Galápagos, a partner of Galápagos Conservancy, expressed his dismay at the light sentence. "We hoped the maximum penalty would be applied in this environmental crime to set a clear precedent in the fight against species trafficking. Organized crime groups have set their sights on Galápagos species, so we cannot afford to be flexible with this type of crime," said Tapia. "We will provide resources to the Galápagos National Park Directorate to bring these animals safely back home and care for them during the quarantine process."

Previously, Galápagos Conservancy was instrumental in the repatriation of 127 juvenile Giant Tortoises recovered from a trafficking incident in March 2021. Those individuals remain in the care of our team at the Breeding Center on Santa Cruz Island, and we hope the 84 tortoises rescued this year will share the same happy fate.

Galápagos Conservancy is the only U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to the protection and restoration of the Galápagos Islands, including over 2,000 species found nowhere else on Earth. As a leader in on-the-ground conservation action, we work with partners, including Galápagos National Park and Conservando Galápagos to save imperiled species, build a sustainable society, and rewild the ecosystems of Galápagos.

U.S. Contact:
Tim Dobyns
[email protected]
+1-630-484-4080

Ecuador Contact: 
Xavier Castro
[email protected]
+593-98-651-8122

SOURCE Galápagos Conservancy