How the criminal gangs that traffic wild animals from Latin America to the world work

These are groups that are literally destroying the planet. Not collaterally, not long term. Directly and immediately. They blindly and illegally sell wild animals (or parts thereof), which may be in danger of extinction.

“They are like a kind of Amazon or Walmart for this type of traffic. They bring and take, generally from Latin America to Asia, especially China, species of all kinds, which they buy from the communities natives for pennies and resell for thousands of dollars.explain Andrea Crostafounder and director of the non-governmental organization Earth League Internationalcomprised of former intelligence officers, law enforcement officers and security experts, dedicated to protecting the planet and wildlife through intelligence investigation of environmental crimes.

Crosta was the special guest at the event “Convergence: Environmental Crimes in Latin America and the Caribbean”organized by the Professor Leland Lazarus of Florida International University (CRF). This event gave the public a rare opportunity to understand one of the world’s worst and least talked about crimes.

“Governments are beginning to understand this more and more, but it has cost us. The United States has units dedicated to intelligence against this type of crime, but little is done officially in the rest of the world, which is why the data we can provide from organizations such as Earth League International it’s so valuable,” the organization’s geospatial intelligence manager told an audience mostly made up of university students dedicated to Latin American studies. odean serrano.

Through its intelligence investigations, the organization has been able to identify at least a few 500 people in the world dedicated to this type of traffic. 90% of them are Chinese citizens. And much of this type of traffic is between Latin America, the Caribbean and China.

Latin America and the Caribbean are two of the most biodiverse regions on the planet, and these transnational criminal groups are stealing the region’s natural treasures, with little officially done to stop them.

“The question is important wherever you look at it. From the obvious environmental impact, to the convergence of crimes that this engenders. That’s the key word here, convergence. There is convergence of species (we have precise data on the same subjects trafficking different types of species), until convergence with other environmental offenses such as illegal mining and illegal fishing (the money they earn in one industry is reinvested in the other). But there is also convergence with money laundering of all kinds of clandestine industries, and convergence with human trafficking or drug trafficking criminal groupswith those who generate networks,” Crosta said.

The organization Earth League International Its objective is to find the information so that the authorities of the various countries penalize the delinquents. And it is precisely the convergence of crimes that can put an end to these criminal industries. If someone is found guilty of illegal wildlife trafficking, they will receive a relatively light sentence, depending on the country. But if that same person manages to also be prosecuted for money laundering, then the penalty is much heavier.

Crosta and his team work in constant collaboration with intelligence agencies such as the FBIbut also with universities like the FRCbecause they understand that the work is long.

“We are unlikely to see substantial change in our lives, and we have to learn to accept that. But the important thing is that my generation does enough to lay the groundwork for you, so that you can continue the work later.“, said the passionate Crosta in front of a mostly very young audience.

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