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Peru Destroys 19 Illegal Gold Dredges in Nanay River Crackdown

Prosecutors say the network persists despite the raids, threatening Iquitos’ drinking water and local communities.

Overview

  • Environmental prosecutors led a coordinated operation with the Navy, Army, Police, Air Force, SERNANP and Loreto regional authorities to target illegal gold extraction infrastructure.
  • The interdictions ran from October 11 to 19 across the upper Nanay, covering San Juan de Ungurahual, Pucaurco and Alvarenga and reaching toward Agua Negra and Agua Blanca.
  • Authorities dismantled three clandestine camps and destroyed the dredging equipment to prevent reuse, following fiscal protocols on-site.
  • Roughly 6,500 gallons of diesel—about 121 to 122 drums—were interdicted, with seized fuel transported to Iquitos by an Army vessel for custody and destruction as applicable.
  • Prosecutors report a 33‑kilometer fuel supply chain and miners’ use of satellite internet and drones to evade enforcement, while NGOs document about 40 active dredges and severe social harms that demand sustained action.