Government House marks one-year historic drop in illegal mining at Yanomami Indigenous Land

Over the past year, the Government House has played an essential role in the disintrusion of the Yanomami Indigenous Land (Terra Indígena Yanomami/TIY) in Roraima, consolidating a historic effort to combat illegal gold extraction. The active mining area within the Indigenous territory has been significantly reduced by 94.11%. In March 2024, illegal mining covered 4,570 hectares, whereas by February 2025, it had dropped to 269 hectares.

In addition to the significant decline in active mining areas, data from the Center for Management and Operational Support of the Amazon Protection System (Centro Gestor e Operacional do Sistema de Proteção da Amazônia /CENSIPAM), an agency linked to the Ministry of Defense, indicate that the opening of new mining sites has also been severely contained. When comparing the years 2022 and 2024, there was a 95.76% reduction in the area of new mining operations, highlighting the increasingly stringent control over illegal activity. CENSIPAM also plays a key role in producing satellite images and analyzing data from other systems to guide and monitor anti-mining actions.

The coordination among security agencies such as the Federal Police (Polícia Federal /PF), the Federal Highway Police (Polícia Rodoviária Federal /PRF), and the National Public Security Force (Força Nacional de Segurança Pública /FNSP), along with the strategic presence of the Armed Forces, continues to ensure the continuity of operations against illegal mining.

Since the establishment of the Government House on February 28, 2024, a total of 4,130 operations have been carried out in the territory, strengthening the inspection and repression of illegal activities. Strategic actions are carried out by different agencies, such as the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Agência Brasileira de Inteligência /ABIN), which participates with analysis and advanced intelligence information to prevent new illegal incursions. Another example is the Catrimani II Joint Command of the Armed Forces, which leads both daytime and nighttime military actions to ensure continuous monitoring of the Indigenous Land and prevent the resumption of criminal activities.

At the same time, environmental agencies play a crucial role in monitoring and mitigating environmental impacts, including the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis /IBAMA), the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade /ICMBio), and the National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples (Fundação Nacional dos Povos Indígenas /FUNAI), which work on restoring the territory and protecting areas degraded by illegal mining.

In addition, institutions such as the National Civil Aviation Agency (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil /ANAC), the National Oil Agency (Agência Nacional do Petróleo /ANP), and CENSIPAM itself contribute to the identification and deactivation of clandestine structures used in illegal mining logistics, strengthening repression actions and aerial monitoring.

The stringent enforcement resulted in the seizure and destruction of 479 camps, 80 rafts, 694 light machines, and 60 heavy machines. Additionally, a total of 21,294 individuals were intercepted during inspections, and fines totaling BRL 11.6 million were imposed.

The operations resulted in the destruction and seizure of 34.1 kg of gold, 147.9 tons of cassiterite, 143,700 liters of diesel, 50.8 tons of supplies, 20,100 liters of gasoline, 13,100 liters of aviation fuel (AVF), and 227 grams of mercury. A total of 1,892 ammunition rounds and 70 solar panels were also seized.

The destruction of 51 clandestine landing strips and 25 aircraft also disrupted the logistics of illegal mining, drastically reducing the flow of illegal supplies into the Yanomami Indigenous Land. As a direct consequence of these actions, the Federal Police has advanced in investigations and inquiries into environmental and financial crimes related to illegal mining, resulting in several operations, seizures, and asset freezes of those under investigation.

Another direct result of the reduction in illegal mining was the resumption of the traditional way of life of the Yanomami, with the planting of crops to ensure food security. With territorial security restored and the support of public policies, the Indigenous people resumed cultivating their gardens, a practice that was quantified by the Brazil M.A.I.S. Program, from the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública /MJSP). In December 2024, the program recorded, via satellite, 33 alerts for deforestation within the Yanomami Indigenous Land, totaling 22.94 hectares dedicated to cultivation –the equivalent of 32 football fields. The expansion of these areas reaffirms the Yanomami's productive autonomy and strengthens their food security.

With a year of concrete progress, the Government House reaffirms the Federal Government's commitment to continue working on the protection of the Yanomami territory. Actions continue to be intensified, with active monitoring and public policies focused on environmental preservation and the safety of Indigenous peoples, ensuring that the efforts made so far are sustained.