Environmental Crime Is a Critical Threat to the Americas
Illicit mining, logging, wildlife trafficking and other environmental offenses have become vital sources of revenue for some of Latin America’s largest criminal groups.
It’s no secret that Latin America’s organized crime has been evolving as it diversifies from drugs to other revenue streams. But in many places, the scale and speed of the shift has taken policymakers by surprise. By some estimates, illegal gold mining, for example, now generates more revenue for organized crime groups in Peru and Colombia than cocaine. This is part of a broader trend called “environmental crime convergence”: Throughout the region, major transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) are entering and then dominating illegal mining, logging, fishing, wildlife...
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