Loggers in Ecuador have reportedly invaded protected reserves to harvest balsa, particularly the territory of the Indigenous Waorani community, located in Ecuador's eastern Amazon region. Mafias dedicated to trafficking balsa have been operating at Ecuador's borders with Peru and Colombia. Since 2019, the demand for balsa has surged, driven by the global shift towards clean energy and the increasing production of wind turbines. Consequently, illegally harvested balsa from Ecuador's border regions has found its way to international markets, including wind farms in China and the United States. The timber is initially transported via river or road to Peru, where it is either mixed with legal shipments or processed through sawmills to conceal its illicit origin, allowing the wood to be legally exported.