Wildlife trafficking and related criminal activity fuels corruption, destabilizes vulnerable populations, and directly funds transnational criminal organizations. Traffickers frequently exploit weakly enforced borders and government bureaucracy to profit from commerce in protected wildlife, timber, and fish as part of a broader criminal enterprise that may include trafficking in persons, drugs, or other illicit goods.
ABA ROLI works to combat this criminal phenomenon in two strategic areas in Latin America and the Caribbean: the Andean region of Bolivia and Peru and the Guatemalan rainforest on the fringe of the Northern Triangle region.
Beginning in 2019, our program, Strengthening Capacity and Commitment to Combat Wildlife Trafficking in Latin America, intends to enhance wildlife-related legislative and regulatory frameworks and build the capacity of civilian and law enforcement and justice sector authorities to prevent, investigate and prosecute wildlife trafficking. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs through the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).
The Combat Wildlife Trafficking (CWT) in Latin America Program aims to:
- Strengthen capacity to combat wildlife trafficking (WT);
- Increase understanding of legislation, investigation and prosecution of WT;
- Enhance commitment and a consolidated response among key stakeholders;
- Promote increased collaboration between prosecutors, police, and government officials;
The program seeks to achieve these objectives by: