WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – A traffic stop in Winter Haven took a turn for the unusual early Thursday morning after Florida Highway Patrol troopers discovered more than a dozen live iguanas bound with zip ties in the back of a pickup truck.
The incident began around 6:30 a.m. at the intersection of Winter Lake Road and Thornhill Road. Troopers pulled over a Ford F-150 towing a utility trailer because the license plate, which was attached to a metal gate, lacked a working tag light.
The driver, identified by a Georgia ID as 32-year-old Rendon Casildo-Acdiel, reportedly told investigators a complex story about his travels. He claimed he had driven from North Carolina to Miami to pick up coconuts, then headed to Polk County to acquire fish, and was planning to return to North Carolina.
Skeptical of the lengthy itinerary for items readily available in his home state, troopers requested a K9 unit from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
After the dog alerted to the vehicle and trailer, authorities conducted a search. They found five coolers packed with iced tilapia in the trailer and 13 live iguanas in the truck bed, all with their feet zip-tied behind their backs.
READ: New York Man Held Without Bail After Horrific Discovery In Florida
Records checks revealed that Casildo-Acdiel was driving with a suspended Georgia license and had no Florida driver’s license. He reportedly admitted to troopers that he knew his license was suspended in Georgia due to unmet court requirements.
While he also had outstanding warrants from three different agencies, none of those jurisdictions chose to extradite him.
The investigation quickly expanded to include the Florida Department of Agriculture and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). FWC has since taken the lead on the wildlife portion of the case.
Casildo-Acdiel was arrested for driving with a suspended license and booked into the Polk County Jail. The 13 rescued iguanas were transported to a local rescue shelter for care.
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