The Puerto Rico Department of Consumer Affairs (DACO) and the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA) have launched a joint operation to stop illegal online sales of exotic and endangered animals. DACO Secretary Hiram Torres Montalvo announced Thursday, during a press conference at La Fortaleza, that agencies began a "desktop operation" investigating digital platforms such as Facebook Marketplace and Clasificados Online, where reptiles, aquatic animals, monkeys, and other exotic or endangered species are being sold illegally.
He said DACO identifies illegal sales and forwards the information to DRNA, whose Vigilantes Corps has arrest authority and handles case processing; cases could eventually be referred to the Department of Justice for potential criminal charges. Torres Montalvo noted these platforms are legally used to sell dogs and cats, but not exotic or endangered species protected by federal and local law.
He could not immediately specify potential criminal consequences but said violations could involve animal cruelty and exotic animal handling laws. He added that many animals arrive via postal mail in boxes or glass containers, endangering their lives, and that authorities seize both the animals and the money involved in these illegal transactions.