The commercial sale of turtle eggs is prohibited by law but nonetheless they are still widely sought after, as a potential sexual aphrodisiac as much as for their taste and nutritional value. Prison terms for selling turtle eggs can range from one to eight years.
Police said they received a tip off that Ramon Anzaldo Guzman, 57, was in the possession of bags filled with the eggs in the Colonia Talpita neighborhood of the city. They stopped him in the street with four bags of eggs.
Anzaldo told investigators that he had purchased the eggs from an acquaintance who is known for trading turtle eggs in several city markets. He said he paid five pesos per egg and planned to sell them for between eight and ten pesos.
Anzaldo said he decided to buy the illegal eggs after he had been without work for a year.
Although authorities have made strenuous efforts to discourage the consumption of turtle eggs, the practice is still common in many parts of Mexico. Scientists, however, dismiss the widely believed myth that turtle eggs are aphrodisiacs that generate incomparable sexual potency.