According to an InSight Crime analysis, illegal jade trafficking is on the rise in Guatemala, particularly in the coastal region east of the country known as a cocaine corridor. This high-value gemstone is in high demand in China, leading to an increase in illegal extraction and transportation operations. These operations are allegedly facilitated by high-level authorities and politicians, according to investigations by the Public Prosecutor's Office. On October 1, Guatemalan police seized a container with 10 tons of unprocessed jade that had been extracted near Morales, one of the most important cities in Izabal. Prosecutors suspect a network of political influences facilitating the entire operation, as the traffickers needed to circumvent mining and environmental controls before the jade left the port of Santo Tomás de Castilla, on the Caribbean coast of Izabal.