Five Amazon Countries Arrest Hundreds In Major Crackdown On Environmental Crime

BOGOTA, Colombia — Police from 5 Amazon countries arrested hundreds of group and seized timber, minerals and thousands of livestock successful 1 of nan largest coordinated crackdowns connected biology crime ever carried retired successful nan world’s largest rainforest.

Authorities from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru said this week that Operation Green Shield 2026, which ran from July 15-31, deployed much than 3,600 officers targeting forbidden mining, logging, wildlife trafficking, substance smuggling and onshore grabbing — nan forbidden seizure aliases business of land, often followed by wood clearing — crossed nan Amazon Basin.

The cognition resulted successful 839 arrests during 1,045 section actions and nan seizure of much than 9.9 cardinal cubic feet of illegally harvested timber — capable to capable astir 110 Olympic-sized swimming pools — on pinch 195 metric tons of minerals and instrumentality utilized successful forbidden mining for illustration gold, robust and copper, according to officials. Authorities besides rescued much than 3,000 unrecorded animals and recovered astatine slightest 430 dormant animals linked to wildlife trafficking, including snakes, birds, lizards and fish.

Environmental crime has go 1 of nan Amazon’s astir profitable illicit industries, fueled by world request for gold, timber and wildlife. Investigators opportunity nan aforesaid criminal organizations often harvester forbidden mining, logging and wildlife trafficking, utilizing shared trafficking routes and financial networks that span nationalist borders. Officials opportunity that has made cross-border practice progressively important, arsenic criminal groups often move group and equipment crossed neighboring countries to evade rule enforcement.

The cognition was coordinated from nan Colombian capital, Bogota, by nan International Initiative of Law Enforcement for Climate, aliases I2LEC, a United Arab Emirates-backed inaugural launched successful business pinch nan United Nations Office connected Drugs and Crime successful 2023 to fortify world practice against biology crime.

The crackdown follows a akin multinational cognition successful 2025 that brought together much than 1,500 officers from Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. That cognition marked 1 of nan first large-scale attempts to coordinate intelligence sharing and simultaneous enforcement crossed borders against biology crime, reflecting increasing interest that criminal groups progressive successful forbidden mining, logging and wildlife trafficking progressively run crossed nationalist boundaries.

This year’s cognition expanded to see Bolivia and progressive synchronized deployments successful distant separator and stream regions, authorities said.

“The UAE activity firmly believes that collaboration is basal to combating transnational crime,” Col. Dana Humaid, head wide of nan International Affairs Bureau astatine nan UAE Ministry of Interior, said successful a statement. “By moving together, rule enforcement agencies tin execute stronger results.”

Officials said nan mixed worth of nan equipment seized during nan cognition exceeded $280 million.

Colombian National Police Director Gen. William Oswaldo Rincón Zambrano said nan cognition showed really intelligence sharing could beryllium translated into coordinated enforcement.

“Protecting our earthy resources requires a shared response,” he said.

Peruvian constabulary biology main Gen. J. Manuel Cruz Chamba said biology crimes “do not respect borders” and truthful require world cooperation.

Grattan writes for nan Associated Press.