Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Sept. 19, 2026 — Nayarit authorities replanted 257 sea turtle eggs seized during two August operations at a protected San Blas nesting site after specialists determined they remained viable for incubation.
The seizures occurred in Lo de Marcos, Bahía de Banderas, and the neighboring municipality of Compostela. Authorities recovered 93 eggs in the first case and 164 in the second.
Nayarit State Police detained two people before federal environmental inspectors referred them to the Federal Attorney General’s Office. The reports reviewed by PVDN did not identify the suspects or specify whether charges had been filed.
The Bahía de Banderas connection
The Lo de Marcos operation gives the case a direct regional connection to Puerto Vallarta, although the seizure occurred outside the city and Jalisco.
Lo de Marcos is a coastal community in Bahía de Banderas municipality. It sits along the Highway 200 corridor, approximately 52 kilometers from Puerto Vallarta International Airport.
Federal protections for sea turtles apply on both sides of the Jalisco-Nayarit state line. For residents and visitors, the case also shows why suspected nest theft should be reported rather than confronted directly.
On the Jalisco side of the bay, PVDN recently reported that the Boca de Tomates turtle camp had registered 210 nests through Sept. 11. Camp representatives identified theft, beach erosion and vehicle traffic among the threats facing nesting turtles.
Rapid recovery allowed the eggs to be replanted
A Sept. 18 report on the San Blas transfer said State Police encountered the two suspects in separate August operations.
Police notified the Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Ambiente, known as Profepa. Wildlife specialists then inspected the eggs before the suspects were transferred to federal prosecutors.
Roberto Rodríguez Medrano, Profepa’s representative in Nayarit, said the prompt police notification allowed specialists to intervene within hours, according to the report.
The eggs still contained sand from their original nests and had not been washed. The report said those conditions helped preserve the temperature and moisture needed for embryo development.
Federal inspectors transported the eggs before dawn to a protected site in San Blas. Workers placed them in artificial nests where their development could be monitored.
A separate Sept. 10 account based on Profepa’s report also confirmed the two locations, the arrests and the breakdown of 93 and 164 eggs.
Authorities expect incubation to take about 45 days, according to the reports. The final number of hatchlings will depend on how many eggs remained viable after their removal and transport.
PVDN found an early discrepancy in the count
In reviewing the initial coverage, PVDN found that one early report listed 256 recovered eggs.
Later reports based on Profepa’s account used 257. That figure also matches the reported operation totals of 93 eggs in Lo de Marcos and 164 in Compostela.
PVDN is therefore using 257 as the verified total. The reviewed reports did not identify the species of sea turtle involved.
Taking sea turtle eggs is a federal crime
Mexico’s General Wildlife Law prohibits the extractive use of any marine turtle species, including their parts and derivatives, for subsistence or commercial purposes.
Article 420 of the current Federal Penal Code provides penalties of one to nine years in prison. It also allows fines equivalent to 300 to 3,000 days for illegally collecting or storing marine turtles or their products.
Any penalty would depend on the evidence, the charges brought by federal prosecutors and a court ruling. The detention of the two suspects does not establish guilt.
Puerto Vallarta’s 2026 sea turtle release season is also underway. Authorized programs require participants to follow staff instructions and avoid touching turtles during their movement toward the ocean.
