Cassiterite, an essential mineral for the manufacturing of artificial intelligence microchips, cell phone screens, and energy transition technologies, is at the center of an investigation into illegal mining in the Amazon. Confidential documents from Operation Forja de Hefesto, conducted by the Federal Police, and investigations by the Federal Public Ministry reveal how this mineral, called the "new black gold," has become the new frontier of organized crime in the Brazilian jungle.
The illegal extraction would have occurred on protected lands, specifically on Yanomami Indigenous Land and in the Campos Amazônicos National Park. The documents obtained by the investigation show how cassiterite illegally extracted from these areas came to be part of supply chains of major global companies.
The companies that would have received products from the supply chain connected to illegal mining include technology giants such as Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Walt Disney, and Sony, as well as other brands such as Starbucks, Caterpillar, PepsiCo, Colgate-Palmolive, Victoria's Secret, and the jeans manufacturer Levi's.
The Brazilian company White Solder, based in Ribeirão Preto and identified as one of the largest producers and suppliers of tin and solders in the world, is mentioned as a central part of this alleged supply network that would connect illegal mining in the Amazon to the supply chains of these major international corporations.
