Interpol says a two-month crackdown across Latin America and the Caribbean has tied Amazon destruction to a wide commercial network, with links to 161 firms spanning several continents. Operation Madre Tierra VIII, running from June 1 to July 31, resulted in 233 arrests. Investigators documented more than 330 cases, identified 312 suspected participants in environmental crimes, and recorded roughly 60,000 hectares of illegally cleared forest, the Associated Press reported. The operation covered Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama. In Colombia, authorities arrested 16 people and seized digital evidence in an investigation into Amazon clearing. That case had already linked destruction of more than 52,000 hectares of protected forest to 11 foreign companies, and the latest operation connected another 161 companies and 65 people across several continents. Interpol said the scheme also involved suspected permit fraud, with allegations that shell firms and foreign investment structures were used. Interpol stressed that tackling environmental crime means following money flows. “Following the money, whether from an illegal gold mine in Panama to a buyer in North America, Europe or Asia, helps a case move beyond the individuals physically harvesting the timber, handling the animal or extracting the gold,” Regional Bureau for Central America chief Krandall Gullock said. The sweep also targeted wildlife trafficking. Investigators recovered more than 1,000 live animals, including Bengal tigers, lions, jaguars, ocelots, parrots and macaws. They seized roughly 165 kilograms of dried shark fins, valued at about $280,000. Authorities also highlighted how illegal mining and deforestation overlap with organized crime. In Costa Rica, they seized about 4.6 metric tons of cyanide and 11 containers of mercury, both used in gold extraction. Mercury is highly toxic, and cyanide can cause severe environmental damage if improperly handled or released. Interpol said the aim is to reach beyond people at mine sites, forest clearings and trafficking routes, and go after the commercial networks behind the crimes. Investigators used international notices to seek information or action involving suspects tied to the Colombia-linked network. The latest crackdown follows earlier Interpol operations, including one that resulted in 225 arrests and uncovered more than 400 environmental crimes. The investigation status for those arrested was not described beyond the 233 arrests made during the operation.