There have been three deaths linked to illegal logging discovered in the past week, as two activists were found killed in a butterfly sanctuary in Mexico and one illegal logger was killed during a shootout in northern Brazil.
The two monarch butterfly activists were found dead in Mexico just days apart from one another, CBS News reports. The butterfly sanctuary where both men worked and were found dead was created as part of a strategy to curb illegal logging in the area. Officials believe the suspected murders may be tied to gangs engaged in illegal logging.
The shootout in Brazil occurred during a fight to halt illegal deforestation in the area, Reuters reports. Brazil’s environmental agency and military police agents stated they found illegal logging activities in a forest in the northern Brazilian state of Roraima. Two of the men involved in the illegal logging hid in the woods and opened fire on the police, according to the report. One of the illegal loggers died in the exchange of gunfire, according to police.
Brazil caught global attention last year for its sharp rise in deforestation and the subsequent wildfires that raged for weeks in the Amazon, but deaths during environmental raids in the country are unusual, Reuters reported.
