The Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) has reported the seizure of 719 sea cucumbers found in two abandoned vehicles near kilometer 157 of the highway connecting Mexicali and San Felipe, Baja California. The incident occurred on September 24, when Profepa personnel responded to a request for assistance from the Attorney General's Office in San Felipe and the Mexican Navy.
During the operation, portable coolers containing clear plastic bags were found inside both cars. The cargo lacked documentation proving its legal origin , so the specimens and vehicles were turned over to the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office. The federal agency also filed a criminal complaint for a possible crime against biodiversity.
Intervention at kilometer 157
The first car contained two coolers. One held a bag with 196 sea cucumbers , and the other, another bag with 175. A third cooler was found in the second vehicle, containing two bags with 181 and 167 specimens, respectively. The total number of seized items was 719.
Authorities found no documentation proving the animals' origin. Therefore, along with the two cars, the sea cucumbers were turned over to the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office . The Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) maintains that it will continue collaborating on traffic inspection operations to curb the trafficking of species, especially those under some form of protection.
The case falls under the umbrella of monitoring the trade and transport of marine wildlife. The species involved, Isostichopus fuscus , is a sea cucumber that is protected in Mexico, and its illegal capture, collection, transport, or sale is subject to criminal prosecution.
Endangered species and foreseen punishments
Mexican regulations include this organism in NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010 , within the category of threatened species. It also appears in Appendix III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, known as CITES, which implies controls on its use and international trade.
Article 420, section II Bis, of the Federal Penal Code stipulates penalties of one to nine years in prison and fines of 300 to 3.000 days' wages for anyone who illegally captures, processes, stockpiles, transports, destroys, or trades protected marine species , including sea cucumbers. The complaint filed by Profepa seeks an investigation into these matters.
Inclusion in Appendix III of CITES means that its international trade is subject to regulations and the issuance of permits or certificates depending on the country. In the case of Mexico, Profepa insists that the use of the species must comply with environmental legislation and the established controls for wildlife.
The species Isostichopus fuscus is known as the sea cucumber, and its conservation status has led authorities to intensify surveillance of its harvesting. The criminal complaint filed by Profepa (the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection) complements existing inspection operations on highways and at transit points, with the aim of preventing untraceable specimens from reaching markets.
The discovery of 719 specimens in two abandoned cars on the Mexicali-San Felipe highway, the lack of legal documentation, the protected status of the species, and the filing of a complaint for a crime against biodiversity summarize a case that combines environmental monitoring, criminal investigation, and institutional cooperation . Authorities are holding the specimens and the vehicles in the custody of the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office while the investigation continues.
