In a coordinated effort against environmental crime, Paraguayan authorities, supported by INTERPOL and 14 additional agencies, have conducted a significant operation resulting in the arrest of 26 individuals. These arrests were part of Operation Panthera Onca, a two-week initiative aimed at dismantling two criminal networks involved in the illicit deforestation and trafficking of native trees within the notorious tri-border region of Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina.
The operation was marked by extensive efforts that included border inspections, river patrols, and airborne forest surveillance. Key operational zones were along the Paraná River and surrounding significant sites, such as the Itaipu power plant and the Moisés Bertoni Natural Monument. Moreover, authorities concentrated on areas that are susceptible to illegal activities.
As a result of these efforts, authorities not only disrupted organized crime around illegal deforestation but also seized 1,000 logs and 250 posts of the high-value quebracho wood. In total, 28 distinct criminal offenses were uncovered during the operation. INTERPOL, integral to these proceedings, facilitated extraditions, including a fugitive linked to fraud who was returned to Brazil under an INTERPOL Red Notice.
Kat Henn, INTERPOL’s Assistant Director of Environmental Security, emphasized the critical need for multi-nation cooperation in combatting crimes such as illegal deforestation, which are often linked to broader criminal activities like money laundering. She highlighted the importance of cross-border intelligence sharing in effectively dismantling these networks.
This crackdown was executed under the LEAP project, an international collaboration supported by the Norwegian Government’s International Climate and Forests initiative and the US Forest Service. This underscores the global commitment to protecting affected regions, which are not only ecologically significant but also critical to local communities.
The Paraguayan Chaco region remains particularly vulnerable, with massive deforestation spurred by cattle ranching and soybean farming. A report by Global Witness indicates a dire forecast wherein continued deforestation trends could eradicate these forests entirely by 2080. This presents profound risks to biodiversity, climate resilience, and indigenous groups like the Ayoreo Totobiegosode.