Today, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held an oversight hearing examining how wildlife trafficking and related environmental crimes threaten U.S. national, resource, and economic security. Subcommittee Chairman Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) issued the following statement in response:

“International conservation is a national security issue, as cartels, terrorist organizations, and hostile foreign actors exploit wildlife trafficking and environmental crime to fund violence, drugs, and war. These so-called ‘low risk, high reward’ crimes are fueling the fentanyl epidemic, undermining U.S. businesses, and strengthening America’s adversaries across the globe. We must close enforcement gaps, protect American markets and resources, and ensure U.S. leadership confronts these criminal networks head-on.”

Background

Environmental crimes, including wildlife trafficking, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and illegal logging, have become some of the fastest-growing criminal enterprises in the world, generating billions of dollars annually. Compared to drug smuggling and human trafficking, these crimes are considered low-risk and high-reward, making them attractive to transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and terrorist groups seeking new revenue streams.

Illicit environmental activities distort global markets and place law-abiding American producers at a competitive disadvantage. They also threaten ecosystem health, fisheries, and forest resources that support jobs and legal wildlife trade within the United States and globally.

The United States has the most sustainable producers in the world to support the legal trade of goods, including wildlife, seafood, and timber. In addition, the United States has a long history of combating wildlife traffickers. Federal agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Customs and Border Protection, play a critical role in enforcing these laws and protecting U.S. interests, together with state, local, and international partners.