Interpol Crackdown Targets Environmental Crime in Latin America and Caribbean, Leading to 233 Arrests
Interpol announced a significant operation, 'Operation Madre Tierra VIII,' targeting environmental crime across Latin America and the Caribbean, resulting in 233 arrests. The two-month initiative, conducted from June 1 to July 31, focused on illegal logging, gold mining, and wildlife trafficking across nine countries, including Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. The operation identified approximately 60,000 hectares (148,000 acres) of illegally cleared forest and uncovered links between large-scale Amazon deforestation and 161 companies and 65 individuals across several continents. Investigators found evidence of suspected permit fraud, the alleged use of shell companies, and foreign investment mechanisms. Authorities also seized 4.6 metric tons of cyanide and 11 containers of mercury in Costa Rica, chemicals commonly used in gold extraction, and recovered over 1,000 live animals, including endangered species.
