The growing global competition for strategic minerals used in military technologies, electric vehicles, and high-performance equipment has opened a new front for illegal mining in the Brazilian Amazon, according to the... The New York TimesIllegal miners and criminal organizations have begun targeting rare earth elements and other resources considered essential for the future economy, increasing environmental and security concerns in the country.
The rise of illegal mining is occurring amidst an international race for critical raw materials, driven primarily by efforts from countries like the United States to reduce their dependence on China, the current global leader in the extraction and refining of these minerals.
With some of the largest known reserves on the planet, Brazil has become a strategic piece on this geopolitical chessboard. At the same time, Brazilian authorities are facing the growth of an illegal network involving clandestine extraction, document forgery, mineral laundering, international smuggling, and the activities of criminal organizations in the Amazon rainforest.
Among the most coveted minerals are the so-called rare earth elements, a group of 17 chemical elements fundamental to the manufacture of high-power magnets used in drones, guided missiles, wind turbines, cell phones, computers, electric cars, and military fighter jets.
The market for these minerals has become one of the most strategic sectors of the global economy. According to the International Energy Agency, the essential minerals segment already generates more than US$300 billion and could more than double by 2035.
Federal Police sees growth in near-industrial operations.
The growth of illegal exploitation of these resources has already mobilized Brazilian federal authorities.
The director of the Federal Police for the Amazon and the environment, Humberto Freire de Barros, stated that the demand for strategic minerals is growing rapidly.
"Demand is very strong—and it's only increasing," he stated.
According to Barros, some of the illegally extracted material can be sold on the domestic market or smuggled to Asia and Europe, where it undergoes refining and industrial processing.
The delegate also emphasized that the activity has already gone beyond the traditional profile of small, improvised mining operations in the forest.
"What we are seeing is not artisanal mining. These are operations on a near-industrial scale."
The Federal Police avoids detailing which minerals are being prioritized by criminal organizations and which groups are under investigation, claiming that there are confidential investigations underway.
Criminal network involves companies and money laundering.
Investigations reveal that the illegal supply chain for critical minerals operates in a sophisticated and integrated manner.
Rare earth extraction requires complex separation and processing techniques. Although these elements are relatively abundant in nature, their commercial exploitation depends on large volumes of soil and industrial infrastructure for refining.
Brazilian authorities point out that some of the illegally extracted raw materials end up being sent to China, which is responsible for concentrating a large part of the world's processing of these resources.
In addition to rare earth elements, police operations have already identified illegal mining of manganese, a mineral used in electric vehicle batteries.
According to investigators, the criminal structure involves illegal miners, shell companies, financial operators, intermediaries, public officials, and international buyers.
One of the strategies used by these groups is the so-called "mineral laundering." In this model, illegally extracted cargo receives false documentation to appear to have a legitimate origin.
In some cases, according to authorities, environmental licenses are issued without adequate technical analyses. In others, networks linked to drug trafficking participate in clandestine transportation, while public officials are suspected of facilitating illicit exports in exchange for bribes.
Routes follow the paths of gold and cocaine.
The transport of illegal minerals follows routes already known to authorities in the Amazon.
The cargo uses routes similar to those used in gold and cocaine smuggling, crossing rivers, clandestine roads, and makeshift airstrips until they reach logistics centers and seaports.
Brazilian Federal Revenue Service customs agent Rômulo Brandão Neto reported that some of the cargo arrives at the ports accompanied by fraudulent certificates.
During one of the inspections, he reviewed satellite images of the alleged source area of the ore and found a complete absence of mining activity at the indicated location.
"It's a ghost mine," he stated.
According to Neto, smugglers also use strategies to make it difficult to identify the transported material. In some cases, critical minerals are mixed with other cargo or declared as different ores, such as iron, to evade inspection.
The difficulty in tracking the data worries environmental safety experts.
Robert Muggah, research director at the Igarapé Institute, warned about the increasing circulation of materials without adequate control.
"These bags of material are turning up on barges, and nobody knows for sure what it is," he said.
Brazil becomes a key player in a global dispute.
The international interest in Brazilian minerals is explained by the size of the reserves existing in the country.
Brazil is considered to hold the second largest reserve of rare earth elements in the world, second only to China. Estimates indicate that Brazilian territory holds between 19% and 23% of global reserves of these minerals.
Furthermore, the country holds virtually all of the world's niobium reserves, a resource used in the production of lighter and stronger metal alloys applied in gas pipelines, aircraft engines, and high-tech structures.
This scenario has transformed Brazil into a central player in the geopolitical dispute involving critical minerals.
Foreign governments are trying to reduce their dependence on China, which dominates much of the global supply chain and has already signaled a willingness to restrict strategic exports amid international trade tensions.
At the same time, the Brazilian government is trying to structure a national production chain capable of transforming these reserves into products with higher added value.
Experts warn, however, that the advance of illegal mining threatens to compromise the international credibility of Brazilian mineral production.
Environmental and social impacts are a concern.
Beyond the economic and geopolitical dimensions, the expansion of illegal mining increases environmental risks in a region considered fundamental to global climate balance.
The Amazon plays a crucial role in absorbing carbon dioxide and regulating the climate. Scientists estimate that about one-fifth of the forest has already been deforested.
Researchers warn of the risk of approaching an environmental tipping point, where significant parts of the forest could suffer irreversible changes.
Illegal mining exacerbates this scenario by causing the creation of clearings, destruction of vegetation, silting of rivers, and soil contamination.
Environmental organizations and human rights entities also link the clandestine activity to serious violations, including forced labor, violence, and impacts on indigenous communities.
Authorities also point out that illegal mining strengthens criminal economies already established in the region, connecting illegal mining, drug trafficking, money laundering, and international smuggling.
Government prepares new control rules.
Given the increase in illegal activities, Brazil is discussing changes to the regulation of the mining sector..
Projects under review seek to expand traceability mechanisms, define authorized areas for exploration, and strengthen oversight of the production chain of critical minerals.
The Federal Police are also working on new technologies to identify the origin of seized material.
According to Humberto Freire de Barros, one of the measures under development is the creation of a database with samples capable of associating minerals with specific extraction regions, a model similar to that used in the fight against the illegal gold trade.
The authorities' objective is to target all levels of the criminal organization.
"We are attacking every link in this criminal supply chain. Our goal is to dismantle it," stated the director of the Federal Police.
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