The member of the gendarmerie's GIGN, its elite tactical unit, was killed during the operation in Dorlin in the centre of the French territory, said a source close to the matter, asking not to be named. In 2022, the French authorities carried out more than 1,000 patrols in the Guiana forest against illegal gold mining, seizing 59 kilograms (130 pounds) of mercury and five kilograms of gold, according to a report from local authorities.