130 poisonous frogs found hidden in suitcase in Colombia airport; woman now charged

Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY
Updated

A woman who police say tried to smuggle 137 tiny poisonous frogs worth about $130,000 into Brazil has been taken into custody at an airport in Bogotá, Colombia.

The 37-year-old Brazilian woman, whose name was not released, was boarding a flight to São Paulo with a stop in Panama when she was stopped Monday by uniformed airport police, the National Police of Colombia said in a news release.

When they searched her suitcase, officers say they found 130 harlequin poison-dart frogs, which were stored in individual small film canisters.

The woman has been charged with wildlife trafficking.

“This endangered species is sought after in international markets by collectors who pay up to $1,000 for each frog, taking into account its exotic beauty and origin, which in the case of Colombia are unique and inhabit the humid tropical forests of the region,” police said.

The small colorful frogs are native to Central American and South American rainforests, and according to the San Diego Zoo, are dubbed "jewels of the rainforest."

A 37-year-old woman who allegedly attempted to smuggle 137 poisonous frogs worth more than $130,000 into Brazil was taken into custody at an airport in Bogota, Columbia in late January 2024. The woman was boarding a flight to Sao Paulo when she was stopped by uniformed police officers assigned to the airport, National Police of The Republic of Colombia said.

'A few hours away from dying'

An endangered green poison dart frog rests on a leaf at the INBIO Park in Heredia, Costa Rica. Scientists believe the decline in tropical frogs is related to global warming.
An endangered green poison dart frog rests on a leaf at the INBIO Park in Heredia, Costa Rica. Scientists believe the decline in tropical frogs is related to global warming.

When airport police asked the 37-year-old woman for a "permit to use wildlife," police said, she told them they were a gift from a local community called Nariño, a state in western Colombia.

"Given the number of species transported and the considerable damage to the ecosystem, the prosecution process for the crime of wildlife trafficking began," officials wrote.

The frogs, which officials said showed symptoms of asphyxiation and appeared close to death, were recovered and handed over to the Center for Attention and Assessment of Wild Flora and Fauna.

Adriana Soto, secretary of the environment for Colombia, said in a video shared with news media that the frogs were being evaluated "to determine their health status," according to news agency Agence France-Presse.

"Based on this we will determine whether they remain at the wildlife center for a while longer or they will be released back to their place of origin," Soto said.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Woman charged after 130 poisonous frogs found in suitcase in Colombia

Advertisement