Main points
- The Amazon, which stretches across nine Latin American countries, is a primary target for environmental crime in the region
- Widespread corruption, at different stages and levels in the environmental sector, enables the commission of environmental crime in the region
- Organized criminal groups in Latin America that have traditionally engaged in illegal drug trafficking are now increasingly getting involved in the most lucrative activities of environmental crime. Lower risks and huge profits in the environmental sector attract criminal networks.
- Despite strong environmental laws and policies, their implementation to curtail environmental crime remains poor in many Latin American countries. Evidence shows that corruption undermines investigations, led to the selective application of laws and interference in police work, and the disappearance of court evidence.
- In 2018, Latin America recorded the highest number of deaths of environmental activists or defenders, who are targets of powerful environmental criminals.
