Agents of the Judicial Investigation Organization, OIJ, arrested a Costa Rican woman surnamed Velásquez, age 56, at the Juan Santamaría International Airport, SJO, as a suspect in an international wildlife traffic case.

According to the OIJ report, the case began in 2020 when an anonymous complaint was filed at the Public Ministry, about the alleged international traffic of wildlife, specifically insects and plants brought from Panama to be marketed in Costa Rica.

Then, an international operation was set up by OIJ agents, officers of the Environmental Prosecutor's Office of the Public Ministry, agents from the Panama Police and officers of the Panama Environmental Prosecutor's Office.

In the development of the investigation, the agents were able to determine how, allegedly, the suspect brought souvenirs from Panama, specifically keychains, necklaces and charms made with resin. Inside these items were insects and plants embedded, such as beetles and butterflies and plants.

According to the agents, it is suspected that the woman sold the souvenirs in three stores inside SJO airport in Alajuela Province and another souvenir shop located at Coco Beach in Guanacaste Province.

As part of the operation, nine raids were carried out in both countries. In Costa Rica were raided the suspect's stores and her house, which is located in Santa Ana, San Jose Province.

Simultaneously in Panama law enforcement raided a house and three warehouses that allegedly belonged to the suspect.

In the raided places, the agents seized approximately 1,000 units of the souvenirs, each one having an insect embedded in it. All the items were taken to the Public Ministry as part of the evidence in the case.