The Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) has shut down the illegal clearing of more than 2,600 hectares of forest in Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo.
The affected forest vegetation includes medium sub-evergreen, low thorny, and medium sub-deciduous forests.
The agency carried out six special operations in Calakmul and Hopelchén, Campeche (2); Tekax, Yucatán (2); and José María Morelos and Othón P. Blanco, Quintana Roo (2).
The affected areas total 2,608.9 hectares of forest: 702 hectares in Campeche, 606.4 hectares in Yucatán, and 1,300.5 hectares in Quintana Roo.
As part of the environmental operations carried out from May 28 to June 14, various tools and heavy machinery were seized, and seven properties were closed: two in Campeche, two in Yucatán, and three in Quintana Roo.
Of the seven properties, none had authorization for land use change, despite the fact that the forest was being transformed into agro-industrial monocultures.
The seizures resulted in the recovery of 108.5 cubic meters (m³) of roundwood and timber, three agricultural towers, a 36-disc harrow, a harvester, and three farm tractors.
Profepa reported that all the properties are located in areas where the Mennonite population’s activities have expanded.
Yucatán
In Yucatán, Profepa inspectors and members of the National Guard visited properties in the San Diego Buenavista area of the municipality of Tekax, with an affected area of 350 hectares.
On site, it was found that the natural vegetation had been replaced by leveled terrain, where machinery was used to cut, fell, section, and eliminate by fire adult trees, young or sapling trees, and herbaceous vegetation growing on the site.
Quintana Roo
In Quintana Roo, environmental inspectors and members of the Army visited properties in the municipalities of José María Morelos and Othón P. Blanco, the latter of which is home to the state capital.
In the Piedras Negras ejido (common land) in José María Morelos, a land use change was detected on 10.68 hectares of forest land, with the total and unauthorized removal of 1,057.33 m³ of native rainforest species, some of which are listed as environmentally protected.
In the Juan Sarabia ejido in Othón P. Blanco, the unauthorized land use change occurred on an area of 437,517 hectares, also affecting federally protected plant species.
Campeche
In Campeche, the inspection took place on land in Calakmul and Hopelchén. The latter was where nine areas affected by agricultural crops were detected, with the felling of forest vegetation on 527 hectares of forest.
As a result, three tractors, a combine harvester and a trailer, 108.5 m³ of wood, and eight tools and machinery, three towers, and a harrow agricultural implement with 36 discs were seized.
Repercussions
Illegal deforestation in the Yucatán Peninsula is a serious environmental and social problem, as the forest is vital for biodiversity and climate balance. When destroyed for monoculture plantations, this exacerbates drought, erosion, and the loss of native species.
Furthermore, these illegal activities are increasingly linked to Mexican cartels, whose groups expand their economic power through illegal businesses, and deforestation becomes a means of laundering money and controlling territories.
The Army’s fight against this crime is crucial. Its presence and operational capacity are essential to confront these criminal networks, and the fight against illegal deforestation is also a fight against organized crime.
Source: lucesdelsiglo
