Interpol says a two-month international crackdown on environmental crime has led to 233 arrests across Latin America and the Caribbean. The operation, dubbed Operation Madre Tierra VIII, targeted illegal logging, gold mining and wildlife trafficking in nine countries, and identified about 60,000 hectares of illegally cleared forest, roughly 10 times the size of Manhattan Island. Investigators said they increasingly focused beyond people cutting trees, extracting gold or moving animals, and moved to suspected companies, financial networks and international buyers tied to profits from environmental destruction. One investigation traced alleged links to Amazon deforestation back to Colombia. Authorities identified 11 foreign companies suspected of involvement in clearing more than 52,000 hectares of protected Amazon forest. Interpol said intelligence gathered during the latest operation uncovered links to another 161 companies and 65 people across several continents. Investigators alleged permit fraud, as well as the use of shell companies and foreign investment mechanisms. Colombian authorities arrested 16 people and seized digital evidence, while Interpol issued international notices seeking information or action involving suspects linked to the network. The crackdown also seized chemicals used in gold extraction. In Costa Rica, authorities seized about 4.6 metric tons of cyanide and 11 containers of mercury. Wildlife trafficking was another major focus. Authorities recovered more than 1,000 live animals, including endangered Bengal tigers, lions, jaguars, ocelots, parrots and macaws. Interpol said some animals were found along routes also used by criminal networks to move drugs and other illicit goods. Separately, authorities seized 165 kilograms of dried shark fins worth an estimated $280,000. Interpol said the operation ran from June 1 to July 31 and involved Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama, with more than 330 cases reported and 312 people identified as suspected of involvement. Interpol reported similar results last year, when another cross-border operation led to 225 arrests and uncovered more than 400 environmental crimes.