Five Amazon countries arrest hundreds in major crackdown on environmental crime
Authorities seized more than $280 million in timber, minerals and wildlife goods during a 1,045-action crackdown on environmental crime.
- On Tuesday, authorities from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru announced that Operation Green Shield 2026 resulted in 839 arrests across the Amazon Basin. The coordinated crackdown ran from July 15-31, targeting illegal mining, logging, and wildlife trafficking.
- Coordinated from Bogota, the operation was backed by the International Initiative of Law Enforcement for Climate, or I2LEC, a United Arab Emirates-backed initiative launched in 2023 partnering with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
- Officials seized more than 280,000 cubic meters of illegal timber and 195 metric tons of minerals during 1,045 field actions, with the combined value of seized goods exceeding $280 million. Authorities also rescued more than 3,000 live animals and recovered at least 430 dead animals linked to wildlife trafficking.
- Colombian National Police Director Gen. William Oswaldo Rincón Zambrano said the operation showed how intelligence sharing translates into enforcement, stating, "Protecting our natural resources requires a shared response." Peruvian police environmental chief Gen. J. Manuel Cruz Chamba added that crimes "do not respect borders."
- Building on a 2025 multinational operation that deployed more than 1,500 officers, this year's mission expanded to include Bolivia with synchronized enforcement in remote border regions. Investigators report that criminal groups increasingly operate across national boundaries, necessitating sustained cross-border cooperation.
31 Articles
31 Articles
Five South American nations arrest hundreds and seize illicit assets in landmark Amazon rainforest crackdown
Five South American countries on Tuesday announced completion of a two-week joint law enforcement operation targeting environmental crimes across the Amazon rainforest. The campaign, dubbed Operation...
Environmental crime is one of the most profitable forms of crime in the Amazon region.
Five countries have taken joint action against environmental crime in the Amazon. More than 3600 officials arrested 839 people.
5 Amazon countries arrest hundreds in major crackdown on environmental crime
Police across five Amazon nations arrested hundreds and seized valuable resources during a major environmental crime operation. Operation Green Shield 2026 targeted illegal mining, logging, and wildlife trafficking across the vast rainforest. Authorities confiscated over 280,000 cubic metres of timber and 195 metric tons of minerals. Thousands of live and dead animals were also recovered as part of the extensive crackdown.
According to El Espectador, Colombia, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador and Peru participated in Operation Green Shield 2026, a massive operation against environmental crimes in the Amazon. The aim was to combat criminal networks involved in illegal mining, illegal logging, wildlife trafficking, fuel smuggling and other crimes. The operation involved more than 3,600 police officers and arrested 835 people in 1,045 operational actions. 280,450 cubic meter…
Amazon crackdown nets 839 arrests in five-country anti-crime operation
Police from five Amazon nations arrested 839 people in a coordinated crackdown on environmental crime. The operation underscored how cross-border cooperation is vital against smuggling networks that exploit the rainforest.
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