U.S. Treasury eyes Brazil drug gang ties to illegal Amazon gold mines

FILE PHOTO: An aerial view shows a wildcat gold miner, or garimpeiro, as he uses high-pressure jets of water to dislodge rock material at a wildcat mine, also known as garimpo, at a deforested area of Amazon rainforest near Crepurizao, in the municipality of Itaituba, Para State, Brazil, August 2, 2017. Picture taken with a drone. REUTERS/Nacho Doce/

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - The U.S. government is concerned about links between Brazil's largest drug gang and illegal gold mining in the Amazon rainforest, a U.S. Treasury official said on Wednesday following meetings with Brazilian law enforcement and civil society.

Brian Nelson, under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said he had learned alarming information about ties between the First Capital Command (PCC), a major global cocaine trafficker, and wildcat gold miners ravaging the Amazon.