UAE-Led Operation Green Shield Seizes $280 Million in Amazon

The United Arab Emirates led Operation Green Shield 2026, a coordinated international law enforcement campaign targeting environmental crime in the Amazon Basin from July 15 to 31, 2026. Working with Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, the operation utilized a multinational command center in Bogota to dismantle criminal networks engaged in illegal mining, logging, wildlife trafficking, fuel smuggling, and land grabbing.

Over 3,600 personnel carried out 1,045 field operations, resulting in 839 arrests. Authorities seized assets valued at more than $280 million, including 280,450 cubic meters of illegal timber, 195 tonnes of minerals, and 32,000 pieces of mining equipment. Additionally, officers rescued more than 3,000 live animals.

The crackdown was organized through the International Initiative of Law Enforcement for Climate (I2LEC), a platform the UAE established in 2023 with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to address transnational environmental security risks. Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, stated that the operation demonstrated the ability to turn international initiatives into tangible operations and high-impact results.