SAO PAULO (AP) — Police in Brazil on Tuesday targeted a group suspected of using chemicals to clear a vast area of the Amazon rainforest in the northern state of Para, officials said in a statement.

Police carried out 13 search warrants and imposed three precautionary measures as part of the operation. No arrests were made. The suspects are alleged to have been connected to the spraying of chemicals across 10,180 hectares (about 25,200 acres) of native forest in the city of Uruara to degrade the vegetation before cutting down the trees.

The cleared land was later converted into pasture for commercial use, investigators said.

It was not immediately clear when the chemicals were applied or when the deforestation occurred.

The authorities said the suspects’ activities ranged from purchasing chemicals to concealing environmental information. Those under investigation could face charges including environmental crimes, illegal use of toxic substances, fraud in environmental proceedings and criminal conspiracy.

The Amazon, the world’s largest rainforest, plays a critical role in regulating the climate far beyond South America. Scientists warn that its depletion could accelerate global warming and disrupt agriculture as far away as the U.S. Midwest and parts of Europe.

Brazil has made progress in reducing deforestation, but cattle ranching remains the main driver of it. Ranchers clear large swaths of forest to enable cattle to graze.

According to MapBiomas, an organization tracking land use in Brazil, deforestation in the Amazon fell by 23.5% in 2025, compared to the previous year. Still, nearly 290,000 of forest (716,605 acres) was cleared. Agriculture and cattle ranching accounted for 99% of the native vegetation loss.

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