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Couple allegedly stuffed 3 monkeys in their underwear in sick smuggling bid — causing one to suffocate

Nypost · · 267 words · By Anna Young
Animal Cruelty Wildlife Trafficking criminal justice
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What to know about Animal Cruelty

Couple allegedly stuffed 3 monkeys in their underwear in sick smuggling bid — causing one to suffocate A Colombian couple allegedly strapped three baby monkeys to their underwear in a twisted bid to smuggle them into the Dominican Republic – with one of the…

Claims checked 9
Techniques found 2
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center67%
Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Couple allegedly stuffed 3 monkeys in their underwear in sick smuggling bid — causing one to suffocate A Colombian couple allegedly strapped three baby monkeys to their underwear in a twisted bid to smuggle them into the Dominican Republic – with one of the…

Why it matters

The unidentified 27-year-old woman and 26-year-old man were busted at Cartagena’s Rafael Núñez International Airport after stunned authorities discovered the monkeys – two white-faced capuchins and a howler – stuffed in their underwear, according to local…

Common ground

The capuchins survived the brutal trek, but the howler is believed to have suffocated inside their clothing.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/16/world-news/couple-allegedly-stuffed-3-monkeys-in-t…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 100% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Name Calling / Labeling 90% confidence
Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5
info Single Source 3
help Insufficient Evidence 1
info
Claim 1: “the sick couple, of La Jagua de Ibirico”
SINGLE SOURCE
The 'Need To Know' source specifically mentions the couple is from La Jagua de Ibirico, and the Daily Star mentions the location, but the Wikipedia result for the town is a general description and not a confirmation of the suspects' origin. However, since multiple news reports mention the town, it is corroborated by the news reports.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — La Jagua de Ibirico became a municipality by ordinance 005 of 1979. In 1985 the rudimentary exploitation of coal began but with little results due to inexperience.^ Citypopulation.de Population of La …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Jagua_de_Ibirico,_Cesar
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Distance From La Jagua de Ibirico to Colombia Cities.
https://www.distancefromto.net/city-la-jagua-de-ibirico-co
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Shows the distance from La-Jagua-de-Ibirico to the North Pole, Equator, South Pole and any place in the world. Includes air line, route, centre, route planner, flight route and interactive map.
https://www.distance.to/La-Jagua-de-Ibirico
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Claim 2: “one of the terrified primates suffocating and dying”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources explicitly state that one of the monkeys died from suffocation during the smuggling attempt.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Colombia: Couple arrested for smuggling monkeys in Cartagena. A pair has been nabbed attempting to smuggle monkeys in their undergarments – with one creature dying from suffocation. The animals were s…
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/pair-caught-hid…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — They were arrested after being stopped at Rafael Núñez International Airport in Cartagena, Colombia. Authorities identified the monkeys as two white-faced capuchins and one howler monkey, which died d…
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/monkey-suffocates-death-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A couple has been caught smuggling monkeys in their underwear – with one primate suffocating to death. The animals were strapped to the suspect’s crotch area. The couple – a 27-year-old woman and a 26…
https://needtoknow.co.uk/2026/05/15/couple-busted-smuggling-…
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Claim 3: “The unidentified 27-year-old woman and 26-year-old man were busted at Cartagena’s Rafael Núñez International Airport”
CORROBORATED
The Daily Star and other reports confirm the suspects were a 27-year-old woman and a 26-year-old man arrested at Rafael Núñez International Airport in Cartagena.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Rafael Núñez International Airport is an international airport serving the Caribbean port city of Cartagena, Colombia. It is the largest airport in the country's northern Caribbean region in terms of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_Núñez_International_Air…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The duo – a 27-year-old woman and a 26-year-old man from La Jagua de Ibirico in Colombia – were apprehended at Cartagena's Rafael Núñez International Airport on Tuesday (May 12).
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/pair-caught-hid…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A Colombian man was arrested at Rafael Nunez International Airport in Cartagena for attempting to smuggle cocaine under a toupee. The 40-year-old suspect was preparing to board a flight to Amsterdam w…
https://www.iheart.com/content/2025-02-26-video-shows-airpor…
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Claim 4: “The capuchins survived the brutal trek, but the howler is believed to have suffocated inside their clothing”
CORROBORATED
Evidence confirms the capuchins survived while the howler monkey died of suffocation.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The capuchin monkeys are New World monkeys of the subfamily Cebinae.Capuchin monkeys are usually dark brown with a cream/off-white coloring around their necks. They reach a length of 30 to 56 cm (12 t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capuchin_monkey
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Authorities seized two white-faced capuchins, while a howler monkey died in the attempted smuggling. Bailey Richards. Sat, May 16, 2026 at 4:11 PM UTC.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/monkey-suffocates-death-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Officers discovered two white-fronted capuchin monkeys (Cebus albifrons) and one red howler monkey (Alouatta seniculus) hidden within their underwear.One of the monkeys sadly died from suffocation. Vi…
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/pair-caught-hid…
info
Claim 5: “The duo were each charged with illegal exploitation of natural resources and wildlife trafficking”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the event is corroborated, the specific charges of 'illegal exploitation of natural resources and wildlife trafficking' are not explicitly detailed in the provided snippets, though one source mentions charges of 'animal cruelty, wildlife trafficking, and illic[it]'.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 1 day ago · : two persons romantically paired or associated together (as by marriage or on a date)
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/couple
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — If you refer to a couple of people or things, you mean two or approximately two of them, although the exact number is not important or you are not sure of it.
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/couple
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — COUPLE definition: 1. two or a few things that are similar or the same, or two or a few people who are in some way…. Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/couple
help
Claim 6: “They face up to 11 years behind bars if convicted”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided or found in the search results regarding the specific prison sentence of 11 years.
info
Claim 7: “The monkeys – reportedly worth over $1.4 million on the global black market”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided web results for this claim are irrelevant (Wikipedia on 'Three Wise Monkeys', a TED talk, and a TikTok about fraud). No evidence was found regarding the $1.4 million black market value.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The three wise monkeys (三猿, San'en; [saɰ.eɴ],[1] lit. 'three monkeys') are a Japanese pictorial maxim, embodying the proverbial principle "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil."[2] The three monke…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_wise_monkeys
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — What happens when you pay two monkeys unequally? Watch what happens.An excerpt from the TED Talk: "Frans de Waal: Moral behavior in animals."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meiU6TxysCg
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — TikTok video from Black Market News (@blackmarket.newsdaily): “Nick Shirley returns to Minneapolis to expose massive Transportation fraud on top of the Daycare fraud he showcased in his last YouTube v…
https://www.tiktok.com/discover/black-market-news
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Claim 8: “authorities discovered the monkeys – two white-faced capuchins and a howler – stuffed in their underwear”
CORROBORATED
Sources specify the animals were two white-faced (or white-fronted) capuchins and one howler monkey found in their underwear.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial authority in the country Authority is commonly understood as the legitimate power of a person or group over other people. [1][2] In a civ…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authority
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 2 days ago · The meaning of AUTHORITY is power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior. How to use authority in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Authority.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/authorities
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Define authorities. authorities synonyms, authorities pronunciation, authorities translation, English dictionary definition of authorities. n. pl. au·thor·i·ties 1. a. The power to enforce laws, exact…
https://www.thefreedictionary.com/authorities
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Claim 9: “A Colombian couple allegedly strapped three baby monkeys to their underwear in a twisted bid to smuggle them into the Dominican Republic”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent news sources (Daily Star, Need To Know, and another web result) confirm that a couple was arrested for attempting to smuggle three monkeys in their underwear from Colombia to the Dominican Republic.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Need to know. Two people have been accused of attempting to smuggle three monkeys into the Dominican Republic in their underwear. They were arrested after being stopped at Rafael Núñez International A…
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/monkey-suffocates-death-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Colombia: Couple arrested for smuggling monkeys in Cartagena. The suspects were trying to board an international flight heading to the Dominican Republic. The startling find was made by Colombian Nati…
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/pair-caught-hid…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Two individuals from Costa Rica now face charges after trying to export infant specimens of two endemic, threatened species from Colombia to the Dominican Republic. The man and woman now face charges …
https://dr1.com/news/2025/05/06/foreigners-attempt-to-smuggl…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.