The situation in Venezuela has become increasingly dire as guerrilla groups take control of rare earth mineral mining areas, leading to the exploitation of Indigenous communities and significant environmental damage. Brig Gen Rafael Olaya Quintero has been actively pursuing traffickers along the Colombia-Venezuela border, highlighting the urgent need to address these criminal activities. This matters because the global demand for clean energy is driving a dangerous rush for these minerals, putting vulnerable populations at risk and threatening ecological stability in the region.