Overview

• Gendarmería stopped the onion truck on National Route 34 near Totoras on the night of Oct. 16–17 and found burlap bags moving inside the trailer.
• Officers counted 166 terrestrial tortoises and 10 protected birds—nine “cabecita negra” and one “picotero de collar”—in violation of Argentina’s wildlife law 22.421.
• Prosecutor Franco Miatello ordered the seizure of the vehicle and declared cargo, and the animals were placed under provincial fauna and environmental authorities for health evaluation and possible reinsertion.
• Driver status remains inconsistent across reports, with the latest noting a Santiago del Estero man in custody pending questioning next week, while an earlier account said he was released for lack of prior records.
• Documentation indicated the load originated in Santiago del Estero and was bound for Mercado Central in Buenos Aires, with officials citing an estimated black‑market value near one million pesos and warning of animal welfare and zoonotic risks.