774 Turtles Found Hidden in Cosmetics Shipment

Tijuana, Mexico — The Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) and the National Guard have seized 774 turtles that were illegally transported from the State of Mexico to Tijuana in a shipment disguised as "cosmetics." The specimens were wrapped in socks and hidden inside plastic boxes stacked within nine cardboard packages.

The detection occurred on November 12, when National Guard personnel identified anomalies during an inspection of the parcel area at the Tijuana airport. Upon opening the packages, they discovered the reptiles concealed inside transparent containers.

The shipment arrived without documentation certifying its legal provenance and with no individual claiming it. However, preliminary information from the Attorney General's office indicates that both the sender and the recipient are of Chinese nationality.

Inspectors from Profepa in Baja California attended the site to count and review the condition of the specimens. They confirmed that the animals were freshwater turtles of the Kinosternon and Trachemys genera. Among them, four had died, while the rest were in apparently stable health condition.

Among the identified organisms, all species of the Kinosternon genus are included in Appendix II of CITES, except for Kinosternon cora, which is listed in Appendix I. Specimens listed in NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010 were also located, indicating they belong to a risk category.

Profepa stated that it has initiated the corresponding administrative procedure, while the National Guard notified the Federal Attorney General's Office (FGR) to conduct investigations and determine responsibilities.

The 774 turtles were transferred to a Wildlife Management and Conservation Unit (UMA) with adequate conditions for their safekeeping.