SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador – An international operation coordinated by INTERPOL has dismantled environmental crime networks across nine countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, leading to 233 arrests, the recovery of more than 1,000 animals and the identification of 60,000 hectares of illegally cleared forest.
Operation Madre Tierra VIII (1 June to 31 July) involved Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama. Investigators found that illegal timber and wildlife trafficking networks were operating on an industrial scale along the corridor connecting Central and South America.
Across more than 330 cases reported by the nine participating countries, the operation recorded:
- 233 arrests
- 312 individuals identified suspected of involvement in environmental crimes;
- 313 seizures, including up to 4.6 tonnes of cyanide, along with mercury and ammunition;
- More than 1,000 live animals recovered, including exotic birds and big cat species.
Following the money behind environmental crime
Coordinated by INTERPOL’s Regional Bureau for Central America in El Salvador, Madre Tierra VIII turned intelligence gathered during previous operations into actionable investigations and prosecutions.
By connecting information across countries, investigators identified criminal networks, uncovered financial and corporate links, and targeted individuals and entities driving environmental crime.
Krandall Gullock, Head of the INTERPOL Regional Bureau for Central America said:
“Across Latin America and the Caribbean, investigators are tracing payments and identifying the companies and properties used to hide criminal activity across borders. By linking those findings across jurisdictions, they gain a clearer picture of how these networks operate, how far they stretch and who exactly is involved.
"Following the money, whether from an illegal gold mine in Panama to a buyer in North America, Europe or Asia, helps a case move beyond the individuals physically harvesting the timber, handling the animal or extracting the gold and focuses on the companies that finance, manage and profit from the trade.”
Amazon deforestation probe uncovers global corporate links
One of the clearest examples of this approach emerged from the 2025 Madre Tierra Operation, when Colombian authorities requested INTERPOL support in an investigation into 11 foreign companies identified as suspects of industrial-scale deforestation. The network was suspected of clearing more than 52,000 hectares of protected forest in the Amazon basin, equivalent to approximately 73,000 football fields.
During Operation Madre Tierra VIII, INTERPOL built on this intelligence, uncovering links to an additional 161 companies and 65 individuals operating across several continents. Using INTERPOL’s global policing databases and analytical support, new investigative leads were identified, resulting in the identification of widespread permit fraud, as well as the alleged use of shell companies and foreign investment mechanisms. Three INTERPOL Red Notices, three Blue Notices and a Purple Notice were issued to help identify, locate, and arrest suspects connected to the network.
Raids by Colombian authorities led to 16 arrests and the seizure of further digital evidence for forensic analysis. The criminal activities under investigation are believed to have irreversibly damaged ecosystems of critical importance to regional climate stability and environmental heritage.
Raids target illegal mines and wildlife trafficking routes
In Costa Rica, authorities intensified action against illegal mining, seizing approximately 4.6 tonnes of cyanide and 11 containers of mercury commonly used in illicit gold extraction. The operation exposed the scale of chemical pollutants fueling illicit mining activities and their devastating human and environmental impact on waterways, biodiversity and surrounding communities.
The operation exposed trafficking corridors linking Latin America to destination markets in Europe and Asia. In Mexico, authorities recovered several big cats along routes commonly used by criminal networks to move narcotics and other illicit commodities. Among the animals seized were two endangered Bengal tigers, one of them a rare white tiger, as well as lions, ocelots and jaguars.
Transnational networks are also driving the trafficking of other protected species across the region. In Nicaragua, law enforcement recovered a significant number of CITES-listed exotic birds, including parrots and green and red macaws.
Across the region, reptiles, including python, rare insects and exotic birds accounted for a majority of wildlife recoveries. Some 165 kgs of dried shark fins with an estimated value of USD 280,000 were also seized.
Thomas Ungerbuehler, INTERPOL Assistant Director of Environmental Security said:
"These cases demonstrate the transnational nature of environmental crime, with biodiversity-rich countries increasingly targeted as sources of high-value commodities destined for illicit markets around the world. They highlight the importance of sustained international cooperation to identify, disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks driving this trade and threatening global biodiversity.”
Notes to editors
- Operation Madre Tierra is a recurring INTERPOL-led initiative, coordinated with the Commission of Central American, Mexican, Caribbean, and Colombian Police Chiefs and Directors, that targets environmental crime. This campaign marks its eighth edition.
- Support from INTERPOL for Operation Madre Tierra is carried out under Project GAIA, with support from Germany’s Ministry for the Environment (BMUKN) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI).
- Additional support was provided through Project LEAP, funded by Norway's International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI).
