Criminal Groups Operate in 59% of Amazon Municipalities
A study published October 14, 2026 maps armed and criminal networks across six Amazon countries, with gold now the most lucrative illicit business.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Terrorism
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Amazon Underworld published the study Crime Presence in the Amazon 2026 on October 14, 2026, finding criminal networks or armed groups operating in 768 of 1,310 surveyed municipalities. Gold has overtaken cocaine as the most lucrative criminal business in the region.
Why it matters
The findings show criminal activity spanning borders, with nine organisations active in two or more of the six countries studied. The study also notes that nine US-designated terrorist organisations are present in 694 researched municipalities, or 53%, following US terrorist designations of the PCC and Comando Vermelho in May 2026.
The study covers 1,310 municipalities across six countries, with groups counted only where they run some economic activity. In 33% of affected municipalities, more than one group operates.
The players
Amazon Underworld
A research organisation that mapped criminal presence across the Amazon region and published its findings in Crime Presence in the Amazon 2026.
Comando Vermelho
A Brazilian criminal organisation designated by the US State Department as a foreign terrorist organisation in May 2026, and active in gold mining in the Sararé Indigenous Territory.
PCC
A Brazilian criminal organisation designated by the US State Department as a foreign terrorist organisation in May 2026, and one of nine such groups present in the researched municipalities.
The details
Researchers collected data between May and October 2026 through interviews with Indigenous leaders, prosecutors, police and intelligence officials, along with state documents and information requests. Gold mining has become the dominant illicit economy, with one kilogram gold bar worth roughly US$135,000.
Timeline
May 2026 to October 2026: Researchers collected data for the study.
May 28, 2026: The US State Department designated the PCC and Comando Vermelho as foreign terrorist organisations.
June 5, 2026: The US terrorist designations took effect in the Federal Register.
October 14, 2026: Amazon Underworld first published the study.
Legal Context
The US State Department's May 2026 designation of the PCC and Comando Vermelho as foreign terrorist organisations frames the criminal networks mapped here within US counterterrorism law. The study extends that action by measuring how widely these groups operate across Amazon municipalities.
Residents of Amazon municipalities face exposure to gold mining and armed groups, which affects local safety and economic activity. Businesses and communities near mining areas may encounter heightened criminal presence as these networks expand across borders.
The takeaway
Criminal networks in the Amazon are increasingly transnational and economically diversified, with gold now leading illicit revenue. Tracking their municipal footprint is essential to understanding where security and economic pressures are concentrated.
Further reading
For background on the designated groups and related policy, see Terrorism coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Rio Times.
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