Couple Arrested in Colombia for Smuggling Monkeys in Private Parts

Colombian authorities detained a couple at Rafael Núñez Airport in Cartagena on May 12, 2026, for attempting to smuggle three protected monkeys out of the country. The suspects, a 27-year-old woman and a 26-year-old man from Cesar, concealed two white-faced monkeys and one howler monkey by attaching them to their private parts. They intended to travel to the Dominican Republic with the animals, which have an estimated commercial value exceeding 26 million pesos. Tragically, the howler monkey died shortly after capture due to the inhumane conditions of transport. The Metropolitan Police executed the arrest as part of the National Strategy for the Protection of Natural Capital, describing the method as a cruel violation of animal rights and national biodiversity. The surviving primates were handed over to the environmental authority EPA Cartagena for health evaluation and rehabilitation. The couple faces charges under articles 328 and 328A of the Colombian Penal Code for illicit use of natural resources and wildlife trafficking. Under Law 2111 of 2021, they could face imprisonment ranging from 60 to 135 months, along with heavy fines, reflecting tightened penalties for environmental crimes involving endangered species.