Amazon mining surge fuels deforestation and crime amid rising mineral demand

Surging global demand for critical minerals, including rare earth elements used in drones and electric vehicles, is prompting a new wave of illegal activity in Brazil's Amazon rainforest. At the same time, a gold-fueled mining rush driven by higher gold prices is accelerating deforestation and increasing mercury contamination in the region.

The twin pressures of mineral extraction and illegal operations are intensifying environmental damage and health risks for local communities, while also raising security concerns for authorities tasked with protecting the world's largest tropical forest.