Brazil cracks down on Comando Vermelho's illegal gold mining in Sararé Indigenous Territory

Federal authorities have intensified a multi‑agency operation in the Sararé Indigenous Territory, Mato Grosso, to dismantle the Comando Vermelho (CV) gang’s control of illegal gold mining. Investigations reveal the gang moved from providing armed security to commanding the Garimpo Cururu site, using extracted gold to finance drug and weapons trafficking and to trade with neighboring countries.

Since March, a task‑force coordinated by the Casa Civil has seized more than 153 kg of gold, 42,000 liters of diesel, nearly four tonnes of explosives and over 800 mining engines, destroying 33 tunnels and dozens of hidden bunkers. The operation has resulted in 72 arrests and an estimated loss of over R$ 110 million for the illegal miners. Environmental damage includes mercury and cyanide contamination of the Sararé River and disruption of the aquifer.

The government of Mato Grosso is constructing a police base at one of the territory’s access points to reinforce security and protect the Nambikwara community, which numbers about 200 people across seven villages. Officials stress the need to prevent the resurgence of the clandestine mining infrastructure and to safeguard indigenous lands and the surrounding ecosystem.