In 2013, a small group of Brazilian forestry engineers ecologists, and other scientists formed a special operations unit. Known as the Grupo de Especialização de Fiscalização (GEF), the unit operates under Brazil’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. GEF targets the most destructive criminal groups involved in illegal gold mining in the Amazon Rainforest. To align more closely with the ministry’s mission to protect the Brazilian Amazon, GEF could integrate environmental stewardship into its operations. Adopting measures such as protecting water sources or neutralizing heavy-metal contamination hotspots may not only foster recovery of fragile ecosystems but also signal responsibility and restraint, potentially strengthening GEF’s legitimacy and relations with local communities. Illi

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