Wildlife Trafficking in Colombia

Colombia is a major source, transit and destination country for illegal wildlife trade, the report reveals, with El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá serving as a key transit point. 

Launched by the TRAFFIC Latin America team at the United for Wildlife event at Casa Britanica during CBD CoP16, the report analyses data from CITES, WiTIS and other sources.  

In 2021, authorities made a record seizure of 2,350 Mata-mata turtles at the airport. The turtles were being shipped from Bogota to Leticia, on the Amazon River bordering Brazil and Peru, to the United States and Japan. This case highlights how Colombia's rich biodiversity is being exploited to feed the global demand for exotic pets, traditional medicine, and luxury goods.  

The report also reveals that wildlife trafficking often occurs alongside other crimes, such as drug trafficking, extortion, and money laundering, increasing the complexity of the issue and requiring cooperation between different law enforcement agencies. Key findings presented in the report include El Dorado International Airport being a trafficking hotspot due to its status as a major international hub. 

El Dorado airport are working with partners including TRAFFIC to address the issue of illegal wildlife trade. A jointly created video to raise public awareness of the problem is being played on the airport screens as thousands of delegates travel through on their way on their way to COP16. 

El Dorado International Airport has become a critical point in the fight against wildlife trafficking in Colombia.As one of the busiest airports in Latin America, it is both a gateway for travelers and a target for traffickers attempting to exploit the high volume of international flights to smuggle Colombia's rich biodiversity. The collaboration between different authorities with airport personnel is vital to intercept these illegal activities and protect the biodiversity of Colombia's unique ecosystems. We are committed to strengthening our response through enhanced training, advanced detection methods, and cooperation to safeguard these species and bring traffickers to justice."

Renata Cao, TRAFFIC's Project Lead in Latin America and an author of the report.

The report proposes a series of specific recommendations to address wildlife trafficking in Colombia. These include the need to develop a national seizure database that centralizes information from the authorities, promote information exchange with bordering countries, and involve indigenous communities in the fight against wildlife trafficking. It also highlights the importance of allocating resources to trafficking hotspots, implementing traceability systems to prevent the laundering of species, and strengthening control at El Dorado Airport through response protocols and anonymous reporting tools.