Orinoco Mining Arc illegal gold economy

Operational description

This operation summarizes reporting on armed and informal gold extraction in the Orinoco Mining Arc, including the presence of sindicatos, guerrilla actors, and state-linked protection structures.[insightcrime-2025-mining-law] [csis-2025-illegal-mining]

Criminal governance

Investigations describe an extractive economy shaped by territorial armed control, irregular taxation, and functional arrangements with state or para-state actors.[insightcrime-2025-mining-law]

Analytical status

The project classifies it as an active mixed criminal economy operation (mining, extortion, and logistics-route control).[csis-2025-illegal-mining]