Amazonas police target deforestation, slave labor, and organized crime

Law enforcement operations in the Amazonas region have targeted various criminal activities, including environmental crimes, organized crime, and corruption. In the ‘Correntes do Capital’ operation, the Federal Police rescued 50 workers found in degrading conditions, suspected of being subjected to slave-like labor. This investigation focuses on large-scale illegal deforestation on public lands, with environmental damages estimated to exceed R$ 179 million.

Simultaneously, the Department of Organized Crime Repression (DRCO) launched ‘Operação Visão Noturna’ to dismantle a Comando Vermelho cell. This group was reportedly monitoring security forces to facilitate drug trafficking routes to Manaus.

In a separate legal matter, the defense of Amazonas Civil Police delegate John Allan Cunha Castilho is contesting his preventive arrest. Castilho is suspected of participating in a scheme involving a false police approach to rob gold and money valued at over R$ 23 million. His lawyers argue that previous judicial assessments found no evidence of his involvement.

Data from the Instituto Igarapé highlights systemic challenges in the region, noting that illegal deforestation and forest exploitation accounted for 71% of high-impact environmental investigations opened by the Amazonas Civil Police between 2023 and 2025.