Coordinated Crackdown Targets Environmental Crime in Amazon

Police forces from five Amazon countries have executed a large-scale coordinated operation against environmental crime. Authorities from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru announced the results of Operation Green Shield 2026, which took place from July 15 to July 31. This operation involved more than 3,600 officers focusing on illegal activities such as mining, logging, wildlife trafficking, fuel smuggling, and land grabbing across the Amazon Basin.

The operation led to 839 arrests and over 1,000 field actions. Authorities seized more than 280,000 cubic meters of illegally logged timber, equating to the volume of 110 Olympic-sized swimming pools. They also confiscated 195 metric tons of minerals and equipment related to illicit mining, including gold, iron, carbon, and copper. Additionally, more than 3,000 live animals were rescued, and at least 430 dead animals linked to wildlife trafficking were recovered, including snakes, birds, lizards, and fish.

Environmental crime is a lucrative industry in the Amazon, driven by global demand for gold, timber, and wildlife. Investigators reveal that criminal networks often intertwine illegal mining, logging, and wildlife trafficking, using the same trafficking routes and international financial networks. This underscores the necessity for cross-border cooperation, as criminals frequently evade law enforcement by moving people and goods across neighboring borders.

The operation was coordinated from Bogota, Colombia, under the International Initiative of Law Enforcement for Climate (I2LEC). This initiative, launched in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, is backed by the United Arab Emirates to enhance international collaboration against environmental crime. The UAE Ministry of Interior’s International Affairs Bureau Director General, Col. Dana Humaid, affirmed the essential nature of collaboration in tackling transnational crime, emphasizing that joint efforts among law enforcement yield enhanced results.

The crackdown follows a similar multinational operation in 2025, which involved over 1,500 officers from Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. That operation marked a significant attempt at coordinating intelligence sharing and enforcement across borders in response to environmental crime. The current operation included Bolivia and featured synchronized deployments in remote border and river areas.

The estimated value of goods seized during Operation Green Shield 2026 surpassed $280 million. Colombian National Police Director Gen. William Oswaldo Rincón Zambrano noted how intelligence sharing could effectively translate into enforcement coordination, highlighting the need for a unified approach to protect natural resources. Peruvian police environmental chief Gen. J. Manuel Cruz Chamba further stated that environmental crimes transcend borders, necessitating international cooperation.

The Associated Press reports that their climate and environmental coverage is supported financially by various private foundations, with AP maintaining sole responsibility for its content.