Illegal Logging and Forced Displacement in Mexico’s Sierra Tarahumara

Across the Sierra Tarahumara, in the northern state of Chihuahua, Mexico, illegal logging has experienced a boom over the last decade. As armed groups continue to cement their control over the territory, the growth of the industry has led to a reported forest loss of over 9,000 hectares.

Those most affected are local communities. With forest degradation accelerating environmental decline across the Sierra, many are now left without reliable access to water. Those who speak out or refuse to cooperate face death threats, violence, and, in many cases, murder at the hands of criminal groups. Among the forcibly displaced are Indigenous communities, such as the Rarámuri and Ódami, who feel that the survival of their traditional way of life is now under threat.

This comes amidst a wider national emergency in Mexico, with an estimated 70% of the timber currently in the domestic market reported to be illegally sourced. Critics point to widespread criminal impunity and weak forest governance as driving forces behind the industry.

Journalist Euan Wallace travels to the Sierra Tarahumara to speak with communities endangered or displaced by criminal activity, investigating the human and environmental cost of illegal deforestation in the region. The project explores regional forest loss in the Sierra Tarahumara, as well as what this can reveal about the broader criminal threat to Mexico’s forest regions.