HomeNewsBriefSeizures Point to Timber Trafficking Ring in Guatemala
BRIEF

Seizures Point to Timber Trafficking Ring in Guatemala

ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME / 20 FEB 2012 BY EDWARD FOX EN

Recent seizures of illegally trafficked timber in Guatemala suggests there is an organized smuggling ring sophisticated enough to transport the wood in large quantities, Prensa Libre reports.

According to the newspaper, Guatemalan authorities seized three shipping containers between November and December last year, each containing 58.28 cubic meters of Dalbergia species, commonly referred to as "rosul" wood. The shipments were set to depart from one of Guatemala's most important ports, Santo Tomas de Castilla. A further 3.5 cubic meters of the illegally logged wood was seized in national parks across the country.

The tree species, protected under the terms of an international environmetal trafficking treaty, is highly demanded in China, which fuels the smuggling trade.

The investigation into these recent seizures suggests that members of the police and government environmental agencies are involved in the trafficking ring, according to the Prensa Libre report.

InSight Crime Analysis

Illegal logging can take two forms: local people using the wood for subsistence, or organized groups running large smuggling operations. The size of these recent seizures in Guatemala point to the latter. The alleged involvement of police or government officials also suggests a more sophisticated operation. The trafficking of protected species often relies on the same smuggling routes used to transport drugs. And similarly to the drug trade, in order to move large cargoes of product, police and environmental officials need to be bribed to look the other way.

Last year Guatemala announced a crackdown on eco-trafficking, stating they would enforce stricter security measures at airports. But the initiative left the country's sea ports off the list of priorities, arguably a serious omission.

Eco-trafficking is a lucrative trade across the Americas. Last year Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced that his government would wage a "crusade" against timber trafficking due to its links to organized crime. Similarly, Nicaragua recently created the world's first "eco-battalion," a military unit that will focus solely on protecting the country's natural resources.

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

EL SALVADOR / 11 MAY 2021

A new report suggests women are increasingly playing an active role in the extortion activities of Central American gangs --…

ELITES AND CRIME / 21 MAY 2021

Guatemala seems to have brushed aside international pressure to crack down on entrenched government corruption, as authorities dropped charges against…

COLOMBIA / 15 SEP 2021

While not as lucrative as illegal mining, wildlife trafficking is still a multimillion-dollar business.

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Continues to be Highlighted

3 MAR 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-director Jeremy McDermott was the featured guest on the Americas Quarterly podcast, where he provided an expert overview of the changing dynamics…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela's Organized Crime Top 10 Attracts Attention

24 FEB 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published its ranking of Venezuela’s ten organized crime groups to accompany the launch of the Venezuela Organized Crime Observatory. Read…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime on El País Podcast

10 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-founder, Jeremy McDermott, was among experts featured in an El País podcast on the progress of Colombia’s nascent peace process.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Interviewed by Associated Press

3 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s Co-director Jeremy McDermott was interviewed by the Associated Press on developments in Haiti as the country continues its prolonged collapse. McDermott’s words were republished around the world,…

THE ORGANIZATION

Escaping Barrio 18

27 JAN 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published an investigation charting the story of Desafío, a 28-year-old Barrio 18 gang member who is desperate to escape gang life. But there’s one problem: he’s…