In 2019, the Peruvian government launched Operation Mercury to tackle illegal gold mining in La Pampa, a hotspot of environmental destruction in the Madre de Dios region. The operation initially dismantled camps, cleared mining zones, and reduced illegal activity by over 90% in its core focus area. However, a 2023 study found that these gains were short-lived. Without continued enforcement or alternative livelihoods, illegal miners returned, often relocating to nearby protected areas, including Indigenous territories. The resurgence was driven by sustained high gold prices and enabled by weak institutional oversight and local corruption. According to local researchers, the return of illegal gold mining in the region has also been associated with the return of crime and violence, with the involvement of transnational Organised Crime gangs involved in Human Trafficking, the sexual exploitation of underage girls, modern slavery, and Tax Evasion.