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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