WINTER HAVEN, Fla. \u2014 A routine traffic stop early Friday morning escalated into a wildlife investigation after Florida Highway Patrol troopers discovered more than a dozen live iguanas bound and being transported in a pickup truck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to FHP Public Affairs Officer Sgt. Steve Gaskins, troopers stopped a Ford F-150 towing a utility trailer around 6:30 a.m. on April 30, 2026, along SR-540 (Winter Lake Road) near Thornhill Road due to a tag light violation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The driver, identified as Rendon Casildo-Acdiel, 32, of Georgia, was found to have a suspended license and no valid Florida driving privileges. He told troopers he was aware of the suspension due to unresolved court requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the stop, troopers became suspicious of the driver\u2019s travel explanation, which involved multiple states and raised concerns about the purpose of the trip. A Polk County Sheriff\u2019s Office K9 unit was requested to assist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following the investigation, troopers discovered 13 live iguanas in the bed of the truck. According to authorities, the animals had their feet zip-tied behind their backs while being transported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Investigators from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Polk County Sheriff\u2019s Office Agricultural\/Marine Unit responded to the scene. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission assumed the lead on the wildlife portion of the investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Casildo-Acdiel was arrested and transported to the Polk County Jail on a charge of driving while license suspended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The iguanas were seized and turned over to a local rescue organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The investigation remains ongoing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. \u2014 A routine traffic stop early Friday morning escalated into a wildlife investigation after Florida Highway Patrol troopers discovered more than a dozen live iguanas bound and being transported in a pickup truck. According to FHP Public Affairs Officer Sgt. Steve Gaskins, troopers stopped a Ford F-150 towing a utility trailer around […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":81292,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[573],"class_list":{"0":"post-81294","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-crime","8":"tag-florida-highway-patrol"},"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winterhavendaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1a5c8cf2-b4c7-4b71-92e3-c5a52f9ee07b-1.png?fit=1402%2C1122&ssl=1","aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t