# Illegal gold mining and regulatory crackdowns in the Amazon

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/illegal-gold-mining-in-the-amazon
> Updated: 2026-09-02T17:00:12.000Z. Sources: 68. Developments: 5.

Criminal networks involved in illegal gold mining in Brazil are altering smuggling tactics to bypass increased government oversight. Previously, gold was shipped directly from Brazilian ports to the United States and Europe. However, due to intensified inspections, smugglers are now using Venezuela, Guyana, and Suriname as intermediaries, utilizing roads, aircraft, and clandestine paths known as ‘cabriteiras’ to move minerals across borders. The state of Roraima has become a central corridor for these activities, with the Federal Highway Police reporting record seizures on highways connecting to the Venezuelan and Guyanese borders. Between 2023 and June 2026, authorities seized 334 kilograms of gold, primarily in Roraima. To disrupt the commercialization of illegal minerals, Brazil is utilizing forensic science to create a ‘digital fingerprint’ of gold. Researchers from the National Institute of Criminalistics and the Brazilian Federal Police use electron microscopy and spectrometry to analyze chemical particles, feeding this data into a National Gold Profile Database to match samples to specific mining sites. Regulatory crackdowns have intensified as authorities uncover permit laundering. In Mato Grosso, the Environmental Protection Military Police Battalion (BPMPA) seized heavy machinery after discovering operations were extracting minerals outside authorized areas. In Pará, Greenpeace Brasil identified a “ghost” mining permit used by the Cooperativa dos Garimpeiros da Amazônia (COOGAM) to launder gold; while the permit reported millions of reais in transactions, satellite imagery showed no activity in the declared area, with illegal dredging occurring within the Munduruku Indigenous Territory. Building on these enforcement efforts, the Federal Police launched Operation Aurum Tapajós to investigate environmental crimes and the potential usurpation of Union assets in the Tapajós Environmental Protection Area (APA) in Novo Progresso, Pará.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-02: Brazil law enforcement conducts widespread operations against organized crime

Brazilian authorities conducted multiple operations against organized crime, resulting in numerous arrests for drug trafficking, firearm fraud, extortion, and illegal driver registrations.

53 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/federal-police-investigate-illegal-gold-mining-in-tapajs

### 2026-08-25: Brazil: Illegal gold mining and permit laundering uncovered

Authorities and Greenpeace have exposed illegal gold mining and permit laundering in Brazil, involving unauthorized extraction in Mato Grosso and the Munduruku Indigenous Territory in Pará.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/brazil-illegal-gold-mining-and-permit-laundering-uncovered

### 2026-08-24: Brazil court suspends mining licenses lacking legal mercury proof

A Brazilian Federal Court has banned the issuance or renewal of gold mining licenses for operations unable to prove the legal origin of their mercury, targeting widespread smuggling.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/brazil-court-suspends-mining-licenses-lacking-legal-mercury-proof

### 2026-08-20: Brazil uses forensic science to combat illegal Amazon gold mining

Brazil is using forensic science and chemical fingerprinting to track the origin of gold and combat illegal mining operations in the Amazon rainforest.

9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/brazil-uses-forensic-science-to-combat-illegal-amazon-gold-mining

### 2026-08-10: Illegal gold mining routes shift to Venezuela and Guyana to evade Brazilian oversight

Illegal gold miners are using Venezuela, Guyana, and Suriname to launder Brazilian gold to avoid increased domestic inspections, with Roraima serving as a major smuggling corridor.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/illegal-gold-mining-routes-shift-to-venezuela-and-guyana-to-evade-brazilian-oversight

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Cite as: Illegal gold mining and regulatory crackdowns in the Amazon. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/illegal-gold-mining-in-the-amazon