Jaguar Trafficking, Crime Convergence and Money Laundering

We’re excited to share that Earth League International (ELI) is featured on the front page of today’s printed edition of The Washington Post.
This article highlights our intensive investigative work on jaguar trafficking and the convergence of crime in Latin America—efforts that have already resulted in multiple arrests and spurred official investigations by various agencies, in Latin America and in the U.S.

 

 

For years, our investigations have uncovered intricate networks behind wildlife trafficking, exposing how these criminal activities are interlinked with broader organized crime.
While our work has made significant strides in other countries, Suriname remained an especially challenging environment. Deep-rooted corruption and the pervasive influence of international traffickers on local authorities made it difficult to trigger the necessary level of action.

Recognizing that traditional approaches were not enough, we turned to the media as a catalyst for change. By giving The Washington Post exclusive access to our investigations, we aimed to bring these issues directly to the public’s attention and put pressure on both local and international stakeholders to act.
We hope that this high-profile exposure will ignite further dialogue and lead to meaningful change—not just in Suriname, but across the region and beyond.

From the article:
“One of Suriname’s most prolific wildlife-trafficking groups is a network of currency traders that has branched out into smuggling migrants from southern China into the United States. They charge roughly $55,000 per person, according to ELI reports provided to the U.S. government. Once the migrants reach Suriname, the smugglers give them false passports that they use to reach Mexico. From there, they head into California.”

“The information provided by ELI helps map criminal networks in nations where the U.S. government has more law enforcement personnel. Crosta said ELI chooses its targets based on its own intelligence gathering. It passes the information to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)”.

“Crosta calls the exotic-animal trade “the soft underbelly” of organized crime, because smugglers don’t expect as much scrutiny from law enforcement when they’re moving shark fins or feline parts.”

The online article here: https://lnkd.in/gvA5vgz8