Brazil's Federal Police have charged 31 individuals in a significant carbon credit fraud case linked to illegal timber laundering, highlighting systemic corruption. This investigation underscores the challenges in enforcing environmental regulations in the Amazon.

Brazil's Federal Police have charged 31 individuals in a significant carbon credit fraud investigation, marking the largest known operation of its kind in the country. The probe, named Operation Greenwashing, was initiated after a report by Mongabay highlighted discrepancies in two REDD+ carbon credit projects linked to illegal timber laundering. Analysis by the Center for Climate Crime Analysis revealed that these projects were generating carbon credits while simultaneously laundering timber from illegally deforested areas. The investigation identified three interconnected groups, including one led by Ricardo Stoppe Júnior, a prominent carbon credit seller. The case has exposed systemic corruption within Brazil's land reform agency and environmental protection institute, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of carbon credit regulations and enforcement in protecting the Amazon.