FINAL REPORT ON JAGUAR TRAFFICKING
The Netherlands, March 2023. In 2019 Earth League International (ELI), in partnership with IUCN NL, launched ‘Operation Jaguar’, generously funded by the Dutch Postcode Lottery. The primary objective of this program was to combat jaguar trafficking across Bolivia, Peru, Guyana, and Suriname, guided by four strategic avenues:
- Systematically comprehend the scale, dynamics, and framework of jaguar trafficking.
- Enhance anti-poaching and counter-illegal wildlife trade measures within jaguar habitats.
- Enhance the proficiency of pivotal law enforcement and judicial agencies in countering wildlife trafficking.
- Amplify governmental and public emphasis on combatting wildlife trafficking.
We can say that we have been successful in achieving all the objectives of the strategy lines.
A total of 75 Persons of Interest implicated in jaguar trafficking have been identified. These individuals are part of intricately structured networks, often intertwined with Chinese mafia syndicates that drive the procurement and trafficking of jaguar parts.
Our investigations have illuminated the crime convergence between jaguar parts trafficking, illicit trade in other commodities, and criminal undertakings such as money laundering, human trafficking, and collaboration with drug traffickers.
The release of our report exposing the criminal networks orchestrating jaguar trade in Bolivia sparked global media coverage, including prominent attention from Chinese media outlets. This heightened scrutiny led to the arrest of five jaguar traffickers in Bolivia, with the support of Earth League International.
Our findings were also presented to key stakeholders, including the Bolivian Government, INTERPOL, UNODC, the Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, and the CITES Secretariat.
Download the report here: Operation-Jaguar-final-report_March-2023
