Climate & Environment
INTERPOL reports 233 arrests in nine-country crime operation
The June–July operation produced 233 arrests across more than 330 cases, according to INTERPOL. The agency separately identified 312 people suspected of environmental crimes; those figures do not mean all suspects were arrested or convicted.
Executive summary
- Nine-country operation: INTERPOL says Operation Madre Tierra VIII ran from June 1 through July 31 and involved authorities in nine Latin American and Caribbean countries. Across more than 330 reported cases, the agency counted 233 arrests, 312 people identified as suspected of environmental crimes, and 313 seizures. Arrests, suspected people and seizures are separate totals.[1][2]
- Environmental findings: INTERPOL says the operation identified 60,000 hectares of illegally cleared forest and recovered more than 1,000 live animals. In Costa Rica, authorities seized about 4.6 tonnes of cyanide along with containers of mercury. The figures are results reported by the participating authorities through INTERPOL, not an independent measurement of all environmental damage in the region.[1][2]
- Company links remain under investigation: The agency says the operation generated investigative leads linking 161 additional companies and 65 people to a Colombian deforestation probe. INTERPOL described the underlying companies as suspected or linked in the investigation; its release did not name them or report court findings against them.[1][2]
INTERPOL says police and other agencies carried out Operation Madre Tierra VIII from June 1 through July 31 in Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama. The agency reported 233 arrests in more than 330 cases and 312 people identified as suspected of environmental crimes. The release does not say the 312 were all arrested, and an arrest is not a conviction.[1][2]
The operation also logged 313 seizures, including as much as 4.6 tonnes of cyanide, mercury and ammunition. INTERPOL said authorities recovered more than 1,000 live animals, among them protected birds and big cats. Those totals combine cases across the participating countries and cover illegal logging, mining and wildlife trafficking rather than one single criminal network.[1][2]
One investigation described by INTERPOL began with a Colombian probe into 11 foreign companies suspected of industrial-scale deforestation in protected Amazon forest. The agency says the latest operation uncovered links to 161 more companies and 65 individuals, with suspected permit fraud and possible use of shell companies and foreign investment structures among the leads. Colombian authorities made 16 arrests and seized digital evidence in raids, INTERPOL said.[1][2]
The release does not identify the additional companies or say that the investigative links amount to charges or findings of guilt. INTERPOL says it issued international notices related to suspects connected to the network. The notices support efforts to identify or locate people; they are not court verdicts.[1][2]
The agency says Costa Rican authorities seized roughly 4.6 tonnes of cyanide and 11 containers of mercury, chemicals used in illicit gold extraction. AP reported that mercury can contaminate rivers and harm people and wildlife. INTERPOL also reported recovering more than 1,000 animals, and said some trafficking routes overlap with those used to move other illegal goods.[1][2]
The reported 60,000 hectares are forest areas identified through the operation, not a measurement of new clearing caused during the two months of raids. The announcement documents investigative and enforcement results, but it does not provide an independent estimate of how much habitat was restored or how much damage was prevented.[1][2]