Profepa's Nationwide Operation Seizes Thousands of Cubic Meters of Illegal Timber

A five-day multi-state operation by Mexico's environmental protection agency (Profepa) has resulted in the seizure of 4,268 cubic meters of wood and 19 tons of charcoal, along with 28 temporary closures and three people presented to prosecutors. The operation, conducted June 26–30, 2026, targeted illegal logging, land-use change, and illicit transport of forest products across 25 states Source: infobae, heraldomx.

Operation details

A total of 624 personnel from seven agencies, including the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Conanp), the Defense Secretariat (Sedena), the National Guard, and the Navy (Semar), participated. Authorities set up 17 checkpoints, conducted 14 patrols, and performed 55 inspections—22 focused on suspected land-use changes and 33 on storage and processing centers Source: heraldomx. The closures included 13 storage facilities and 15 forest plots Source: heraldomx.

Regional focus

Michoacán recorded the largest seizures, particularly near the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, where 3,248–3,284 cubic meters of pine, fir, and oak were confiscated Source: infobae, heraldomx. In Sinaloa, 518 cubic meters of sawn wood were seized, while Sonora yielded 17.6 tons of charcoal. Yucatán and the State of Mexico also saw notable enforcement actions Source: heraldomx.

Institutional coordination

Profepa head Mariana Boy emphasized that protecting forests is a shared responsibility between environmental and security agencies Source: infobae. The operation also covered several protected areas, including La Malinche National Park and Cofre de Perote National Park Source: heraldomx.