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Peruvian smugglers traffic illegal rainforest timber from Brazil to America
Jeremy Hance
mongabay.com
January 11, 2012



An investigation by Brazil's Federal Police has detailed a significant trade of illegally logged rainforest wood by Peruvian nationals making its way from northern Brazil to the U.S. and Mexico, reports O Globo.

Peruvian smugglers illegally log on the Brazilian-side of the Amazon then transfer the hardwoods via the Solimoes River to the Peruvian island of Islandia. On the island they mix the illegally logged wood, mostly mahogany and cedar, with wood that was obtained legally before shipping them north. Finally, two Mexican vessels, also implicated in the cocaine trade, take the logs to Mexican and U.S. markets.

The smuggling has evaded capture to date because four Receita Federale (RF) patrol boats meant to patrol the Solimoes River have been out of commission for two years.











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CITATION:
Jeremy Hance
mongabay.com (January 11, 2012). Peruvian smugglers traffic illegal rainforest timber from Brazil to America. http://news.mongabay.com/2012/0111-hance_peru_brazil_illegallogging.html


Tags:
peru brazil illegal logging logging crime crimes law law enforcement south america Mexico united states latin america jeremy hance green environment deforestation Amazon rainforest Amazon Deforestation amazon amazon destruction amazon logging threats to rainforests threats to the rainforest threats to the amazon rainforest logging rainforest destruction rainforest governance

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