An award-winning team of Miami Herald reporters delves into the world of illegal gold mines, which have become a haven for Latin American drug money and an international business that is five times as lucrative as trafficking cocaine. Sold to metals traders and ultimately to Americans for jewelry, smartphones and investment portfolios, "dirty" gold leads to a criminal underworld this book puts in full view.
... a comprehensive exposé of the South American gold industry ... The book is extensively researched and vividly told; readers might be mentally casting a film adaptation while reading ... An important book that will enlighten readers about the disturbing impact of gold mining in the Amazon
... [a] In this shocking true crime epic ... The authors take the reader beyond the sensational multiagency investigation to provide a comprehensive exploration of the international precious metal trade to show how a criminal enterprise can thrive with a product where melting can erase all traces of origin easier than documents can be forged. This is a must-read for fans of Matthew Hart’s Diamonds and Roberto Saviano’s ZeroZeroZero.
The authors write with a journalistic yet culturally attuned voice, but the narrative is sometimes repetitive in its frequent juxtaposition of the brutal conditions in the mine-ravaged rainforests with the wealth and colorful backstories of the key players as well as the determination and diligence of the various law enforcement agencies involved. An authoritative consideration of 'dirty' gold’s grip on the environment and role in rampant geopolitical corruption.
