The United States hunts down perpetrators of wildlife crimes and brings them to justice through international cooperation, communication, and coordination.
Wildlife law enforcement networks (Wildlife Enforcement NetworksWEN) around the world are working to fight this scourge and protect animals around the world.
“We have greatly improved our ability to detect and interdict wildlife trafficking as well as combat wildlife crime,” said Monica Medina, Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs ( OES), also Special Envoy for Biodiversity and Water Resources, at the end of the fourth global meeting of the WEN*, in November 2022, which was sponsored by the OES. “There are many examples of cases where cross-border cooperation has resulted in seizures and arrests, not to mention successful investigations and prosecutions. »
The International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC), the group organizing this global meeting, defines wildlife as all wild fauna and flora. Fauna includes animals such as birds and fish, while flora includes timber and non-timber forest products. Wildlife crime includes the taking, possession and trade of wild fauna and flora, in violation of national or international law.
In 2022, ICCWC partners, including Interpol, the World Customs Organization and the World Bank, worked with law enforcement agencies in various countries to end wildlife trafficking in 125 countries around the world.
Authorities identified 934 suspected wildlife traffickers and made 2,200 seizures, including 119 big cats, 34 primates, 750 birds and 1,795 reptiles.
United States collaboration with South America
For the past two years, the United States has worked closely with the South American WEN Network* (SudWEN) to prevent wildlife trafficking in the Western Hemisphere.
Here are some examples of their collaboration:
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- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s law enforcement section has sent officers to U.S. embassies in Peru and Brazil to work with their counterparts in those countries on the wildlife trafficking file. .
- The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) continues to work with the United Nations on the Combating Transnational Conservation Crimes in the Amazon project.
- The United States is working closely with ICCWC partners and SudWEN countries to build the network’s ability to coordinate regional efforts to combat wildlife crime, including providing technical expertise and supporting law enforcement.
“We must work together to put an end to these horrendous crimes and the risk they pose to our security, our people and the planet,” said Monica Medina.
*in English
