MEXICO CITY - Mexican authorities said they had rescued over 3,400 protected baby turtles stuffed into cardboard boxes set to be trafficked.
During a roadblock in the southern state of Chiapas, agents found the critters "in overcrowded conditions" in boxes in a vehicle whose driver was arrested on wildlife trafficking charges, the environmental protection prosecutor's office said in a statement.
The baby animals were freshwater Meso-American sliders, native to Mexico, Central America and Colombia.
They are protected in Mexico against overexploitation.
"The specimens were transported without documentation proving their legal origin, which constitutes a violation of environmental regulations," the prosecutor's office said.
The turtles were taken to a specialised unit for rehabilitation and to determine whether they can be released back into the wild.