Peru’s Record Mercury Bust Reveals Global Supply Chains Fueling Amazon Destruction

In June 2025, Peruvian customs officials intercepted an unprecedented 4-ton shipment of illicit mercury concealed within gravel bags at the port of Callao. Labeled deceptively as crushed stone and destined for Bolivia, this haul—the largest mercury seizure ever recorded in an Amazon country—unveils a sophisticated smuggling network underpinning one of the world’s most destructive criminal economies: illegal gold mining. Why does this matter to Americans? Because the global ripple effects threaten environmental security and strengthen transnational criminal groups allied with Mexican cartels—groups whose influence reaches far beyond South America. As these networks grow bolder, our national sovereignty faces new challenges...