Global Crackdown on Amazon Environmental Crime Exposes Glaring Enforcement Gaps and Risks to America

The recent multinational crackdown on environmental crime across the Amazon Basin reveals both significant enforcement progress and stark questions about protecting vital natural resources from transnational criminal networks. From June 23 to July 6, more than 1,500 officers across Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru conducted over 350 raids targeting illegal mining, wildlife trafficking, logging, and fuel smuggling. The coordinated effort seized assets worth an estimated $64 million—including raw minerals, timber, smuggled fuel, and illegal wildlife—and led to the arrest of 94 individuals deeply enmeshed in these illicit schemes. Is Global Cooperation Enough to Shield America’s Environmental and Security Interests? Dubbed...