Criminal gangs spread chaos in a third of Brazil's Amazon cities

Brazil's Federal Police have taken significant action against illegal mining activities, specifically targeting a scheme that has extracted gold worth 4 billion reais from Indigenous territories. The operation, announced on a recent Wednesday, involved multiple arrests and the issuance of search warrants across six Brazilian states. This extensive investigative effort revealed the recruitment of foreign nationals, primarily from Venezuela, who were transporting the illegal gold on commercial flights to neighboring countries like Venezuela and Guyana. Furthermore, it showcased a troubling trend of Indigenous involvement in illegal mining, complicating enforcement efforts and exacerbating the ongoing conflict between environmental protection and resource extraction in the Amazon region. In addition, the report highlights the alarming expansion of organized crime networks in Brazil's Amazon rainforest. It noted that these criminal gangs have spread into over a third of municipalities within the region, which is home to the Legal Amazon, encompassing nine states and the largest hydrographic basin in the world. As of 2024, 260 of the 772 municipalities in the area reported gang presence, a considerable increase from just 178 the prior year. Prominent gangs such as the Red Command and the First Capital Command (PCC) have significantly increased their power, controlling nearly half of the areas where crime is prevalent. The Red Command's expansion into northern cities has coincided with the PCC securing drug trafficking routes, further intensifying violence and criminal influence. Detectives have indicated that organized crime escalated particularly during the administration of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who facilitated a rise in illegal mining. Despite the newly elected President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's efforts to combat crime and curb deforestation, the report emphasizes that transnational trafficking and the threat posed by armed gangs remain pressing public security issues. Ultimately, this illegal activity poses not only a grave environmental threat but also challenges the development of sustainable practices essential to preserving the Amazon. Experts suggest that a holistic approach is necessary to tackle these multi-faceted issues, requiring coordinated policies and local development initiatives. It is clear that without significant intervention, the cycle of violence and illegal exploitation of resources in the Brazilian Amazon is likely to continue, deeply affecting both the environment and local communities.