Brazil mining boss sentenced for illegal gold operation on Indigenous land

Updated: March 18, 2026

A Brazilian federal court has sentenced a key financier to more than 22 years in prison. He was found guilty of leading an illegal mining operation in the Yanomami Indigenous Territory, a huge protected area in the Amazon Rainforest that has been devastated by pollution, disease and deforestation.

Rodrigo Martins de Mello, known as Rodrigo Cataratas, was convicted on charges of leading a criminal organization, money laundering, illegal mining on protected Indigenous land and other crimes. The mining severely degraded the Indigenous territory, causing disease and death for locals. The judge ordered Mello to pay more than 31.7 million reais ($6.1 million) in damages to the Yanomami people.

“Justice must hold people accountable for the impacts and for the deaths of the Yanomami people, because we did nothing wrong,” Waihiri Hekurari Yanomami, the president of the Urihi Yanomami Association, told Mongabay in an audio message. “They are the ones who came and poisoned the children and the rivers. And until today, we are still paying a very, very high price. ”

Illegal gold mining in the Yanomami territory surged more than 300% between 2018 and 2022, following the election of Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro, who publicly supported mining on Indigenous land.

Thousands of miners invaded Yanomami land, and with them came a 330% increase in deaths from malnutrition, mostly among young Indigenous children. A 2023 health survey found that almost 70% of the Yanomami people had mercury in their bodies. Mercury is commonly used to amalgamate gold. Miners also repeatedly opened fire on Yanomami communities.

“I witnessed many of these deaths; I saw so much. Because of this, just saying his name brings me psychological problems, remembering all the deaths. He was one of those responsible for the death of my Yanomami people,” Hekurari Yanomami said, referring to Mello.

According to court documents seen by Mongabay, Mello managed a fleet of at least 23 aircrafts used to transport miners, fuel and other supplies into the Indigenous land and transport the minerals out.

Mello’s son, daughter and another accomplice were also charged for similar crimes. They received more than 10 years each in prison and together were ordered to pay another 2.6 million reais ($498,000) in damages.

Mello rejected the decision. “My actions have always been guided by work, legality and my commitment to those most in need. And that bothers people,” he wrote in a Facebook post, referring to his support of informal miners.

Lawyers for everyone involved in the case have appealed the decision.

Since 2023, the federal government under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Bolsonaro’s successor, has carried out large-scale operations to evict illegal miners from the Yanomami territory.

Banner image: A small airplane used for illegal mining set on fire by IBAMA inspectors in the Yanomami Indigenous Territory. Image courtesy of IBAMA.