The City Police and UFEMA rescued various highly dangerous specimens from a clandestine snake breeding facility that were kept in captivity without authorization in a residential area.
In an operation that has shocked the residents of the Buenos Aires neighborhood, the authorities managed to dismantle a center for the possession and possible commercialization of illegal snakes in Villa Urquiza. The procedure, led by the Specialized Environmental Prosecutor’s Unit (UFEMA), led to the discovery of multiple exotic reptiles that lived with the residents of an apartment building, representing a biological risk and security threat to the community.
The investigation, which lasted several weeks, culminated in the raid of a home where a man, nicknamed by investigators as the “snake king“, housed an undeclared collection of ophidians.
Among the seized specimens were boas, pythons, and other species whose possession is strictly regulated or prohibited by the Wildlife Conservation Law (Law 22.421).
The animals were distributed in precarious terrariums within an environment that did not comply with minimum safety standards.
The staff of the Environmental Crimes Division of the City Police worked jointly with wildlife specialists to ensure the transfer of the reptiles.
The discovery of these illegal snakes in Villa Urquiza highlights the persistence of wildlife trafficking in urban centers, an activity that uses social media and clandestine channels for the distribution of exotic animals captured from their natural habitats or raised in irregular conditions.
Specialists warned that the presence of these animals in residential environments not only violates biodiversity laws but also poses a latent danger of possible escapes or attacks, given the constrictor nature of some of the specimens found.
After the rescue, the reptiles were sent to specialized recovery centers to assess their health status and determine their final destination, while the person responsible for the place was made available to justice on charges of animal abuse and violation of species protection laws.
The case remains under judicial analysis to determine if the individual was part of a broader network of illegal trade of species in the City of Buenos Aires. The building’s residents expressed their surprise at the operation, confirming that they were unaware of the existence of this breeding facility hidden behind the walls of a conventional apartment.
