In an unusual series of legal actions, Brazilian prosecutors have sued multinational meatpacker JBS and three smaller slaughterhouses for allegedly buying cattle directly from illegal ranches in a protected area. The lawsuits include a type of evidence that is turning heads among Brazilian environmental autorities — transit documents that purport to show a direct sale of cattle from deforested protected areas to the meatpackers. Usually when deforestation beef is at issue, the cattle have had their origin obscured. JBS said nearly all its cattle are purchased legally.
