An Interpol operation across nine Latin American and Caribbean countries led to 233 arrests and identified about 60,000 hectares of illegally cleared forest, including protected Amazon land. Operation Madre Tierra VIII also uncovered suspected links between deforestation, companies and financial networks across several continents, Interpol said Wednesday.
Cross-Border Enforcement
The crackdown ran from June 1 to July 31. It involved Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama. Authorities reported more than 330 cases and identified 312 people suspected of involvement in environmental crimes. Investigators identified 148,000 acres of illegally cleared forest—10 times the size of Manhattan Island.
In Costa Rica, authorities seized about 4.6 metric tons of cyanide and 11 containers of mercury, both used in gold extraction. Mercury can contaminate rivers, wildlife and people. Improperly handled or released, cyanide can cause severe environmental damage.
The operation targeted illegal logging, gold mining and wildlife trafficking. Interpol said criminal networks operated across borders, while national authorities made arrests and seizures within their jurisdictions.
Companies and Financial Networks
Investigators focused on companies, financial networks and international buyers suspected of profiting from environmental destruction. In an investigation originating in Colombia, authorities identified 11 foreign companies suspected of helping clear more than 52,000 hectares of protected Amazon forest.
Intelligence gathered during the operation uncovered links to another 161 companies and 65 people across several continents, Interpol said. Investigators found suspected permit fraud and alleged use of shell companies and foreign investment mechanisms. Colombian authorities arrested 16 people and seized digital evidence. Interpol issued international notices seeking information or action involving suspects linked to the network.
“Following the money, whether from an illegal gold mine in Panama to a buyer in North America, Europe or Asia, helps a case move beyond the individuals physically harvesting the timber, handling the animal or extracting the gold,” Krandall Gullock, head of Interpol's Regional Bureau for Central America, said in a statement.
Environmental crime has become increasingly intertwined with organized crime across Latin America, particularly in remote forest regions. Illegal mining, logging and wildlife trafficking can use the same routes and financial networks as other illicit commodities. Gold's high value, portability and ease of sale attract criminal groups. As gold prices have risen, illegal mining has expanded in parts of the Amazon, driving deforestation and contaminating rivers with mercury and other toxic substances.
Wildlife and Mining
Authorities recovered more than 1,000 live animals during the Interpol operation, including endangered Bengal tigers, lions, jaguars, ocelots, parrots and macaws. Some turned up on routes that criminal networks also use to move drugs and other illicit goods, Interpol said. Authorities also seized 165 kilograms of dried shark fins, estimated to be worth $280,000.
In August, The Associated Press accompanied Peruvian security forces as they raided illegal gold mines advancing into the Tambopata National Reserve in the Amazon. Authorities there are increasingly targeting mining operations' financial networks because miners frequently return after raids.
Earlier this year, nearly 200 people were arrested in the first coordinated cross-border operation targeting illegal gold mining involving Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana and Suriname. Authorities seized gold, cash, mercury, firearms and mining equipment. A similar Interpol operation last year led to 225 arrests and uncovered more than 400 environmental crimes, including illegal logging, wildlife trafficking, mining and pollution.
“These cases demonstrate the transnational nature of environmental crime, with biodiversity-rich countries increasingly targeted as sources of high-value commodities destined for illicit markets around the world,” said Thomas Ungerbuehler, Interpol's assistant director of environmental security.
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