A MINING company facing charges over allegations that it was part of an illegal mining scheme in the Yanomami Indigenous Territory in the Brazilian Amazon has already exported tin to U.S. companies that hold contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense.
The Pentagon classifies the metal as essential for the production of electronic components used in its military equipment.
White Solder, which presents itself as one of the world’s largest tin producers, supplied at least 525 metric tons to U.S.-based Indium Corporation between May 2023 and August 2025, according to customs records analyzed by Repórter Brasil.
Indium supplies solder to Raytheon, a manufacturer of military systems such as radars and precision-guided missiles, which holds several contracts with the U.S. government. With more than 100 years of operations, Raytheon reported US$88 billion in revenue in 2025.
One of these contracts, signed in 2020 for US$2.2 billion, involves the production of seven missile-defense radars to be delivered to Saudi Arabia by 2027. Under another contract, signed in 2024 and valid until 2031, Raytheon secured an additional US$2.9 billion to provide the United States with units of the company’s most advanced air and missile defense radar system.
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White Solder also supplied tin to U.S.-based Nathan Trotter, which describes itself as North America’s largest manufacturer of tin and solder alloys. Between August 2021 and August 2025, the company received at least 2,400 metric tons from the Brazilian tin producer, according to customs records analysed by the investigation.
In September 2024, the U.S. Department of Defense awarded US$19 million to Nathan Trotter for the company to establish a tin smelting, refining, and recycling facility in Pennsylvania.
The purpose of the investment is to strengthen domestic production of critical minerals and counter “Chinese efforts to monopolize the global supply, as well as mitigate smelting supply chain vulnerabilities,” according to a release published by the agency.
“The US’s expanding need for raw materials to underpin its military will lead to further harms associated with mining, both illegal and legal unless safeguards and due diligence are put in place and followed,” warns Emily Iona Stewart, Head of Policy and Advocacy at Global Witness, an organization that has been mapping the harms faced by communities amid rising demand for critical minerals.
“Mining has been legitimized by creating a narrative that these minerals are strategic because of the energy transition, but a significant portion of them also goes to the military industry. There is no control over the final destination of these minerals,” says Bruno Milanez, professor at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora and coordinator of the Political Economy, Mining, Environment and Society Research and Extension Group (PoEMAS).
Contacted by Repórter Brasil, White Solder, Nathan Trotter, Raytheon, and the U.S. Department of Defense did not respond to the questions sent by the investigation.
Indium Corporation said it purchases tin from companies that meet the criteria established by the RMI (Responsible Minerals Initiative), a global initiative promoting responsible practices in the mining sector. White Solder was listed as an RMI-compliant smelter during the period when the metal was supplied, the U.S. company told the investigation. The company did not clarify whether the Brazilian producer remains a supplier (read the full response here).
RMI said it will analyze the available evidence, conduct further inquiries, and consult stakeholders to determine whether it will remove or maintain the company on its list (the full response can be read here).
Criminal scheme in the Yanomami Indigenous Territory
White Solder holds a central position in the global tin market: the group presents itself as one of the world’s largest tin manufacturers and ranks second in royalty payments from cassiterite extraction in the Brazilian Legal Amazon, according to data from the National Mining Agency (ANM). Cassiterite is the main raw material used to produce tin, a metal employed as solder in cell phones, computers, solar panels, electric vehicles, satellites, and military equipment.
In August 2026, the Federal Court accepted a complaint filed by the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPF) and made White Solder and its managing partner defendants for criminal organization, money laundering, and illegal cassiterite mining in the Yanomami Indigenous Territory, Brazil’s largest indigenous territory.
According to the MPF, White Solder allegedly paid R$166 million to Coopertin (Brazilian Tin Producers Cooperative), which is accused of operating as a shell cooperative and providing a legal origin for more than 525 tons of cassiterite extracted from the Indigenous territory between 2021 and 2022.
The cooperative did not respond to questions sent by Repórter Brasil.
According to the MPF, cassiterite from the Yanomami Indigenous Territory was sent to the mining company’s branch in Ariquemes, Rondônia state, where it was smelted and transformed into tin ingots. “Thus, cassiterite extracted from unauthorized locations can easily be inserted into the legal market,” explains prosecutor André Luiz Porreca, who led the investigation.
Acquisition of cassiterite from areas with no evidence of mining activity
This is not the only allegation involving White Solder’s cassiterite purchases.
A report published last Thursday (17) by Repórter Brasil showed that the company purchased more than 2,300 metric tons of cassiterite between 2020 and 2025 from two areas with no evidence of mining activity in Campo Novo de Rondônia, in northern Rondônia state.
The assessment, developed in collaboration with the organization Greenpeace Brasil, analyzed high-resolution satellite imagery and included aerial surveys and field investigations. “The available evidence does not show spatial and temporal signs consistent with mineral production,” Greenpeace said. According to the organization, the evidence suggests that the areas are “ghost mines.”
“Ghost mines” is a term used to describe mining areas that are authorized to operate and sell minerals but, in practice, show no actual production. Such areas may be used to conceal the true origin of minerals illegally extracted from areas without mining authorization, such as Indigenous territories.
Federal Prosecutor’s Office investigates international buyers
In addition to filing charges against White Solder, the Brazilian Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPF) also opened a civil inquiry to investigate the potential responsibility of companies that allegedly purchased tin from the company. Brazilian subsidiaries of ten multinational corporations, including Amazon, Microsoft, Disney, and Intel, are mentioned in the document.
The relationship between some of these companies and White Solder was identified during Operation “Forja de Hefesto”, launched by the Brazilian Federal Police in December 2023, according to documents obtained by Repórter Brasil. The police analyzed corporate documents disclosed by the companies themselves to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Publicly traded companies in the United States are required to report to the SEC their potential suppliers of gold, tungsten, tantalum, and tin – known as “conflict minerals” due to their association with mining activities in war zones and areas of political instability. These minerals may have been purchased directly or indirectly through external suppliers.
However, inclusion on these lists does not mean that tin produced by White Solder was actually used in the products of the reporting companies. To prepare their reports, multinational corporations rely on information shared by their suppliers and only state that minerals from the listed smelters “may have been used” in their supply chains.
Supply to Big Tech companies
Conflict minerals reports from 2025 issued by at least eight major technology, entertainment, and aerospace companies mention White Solder as a potential supplier, according to a survey by Repórter Brasil.
Following the Federal Police operation targeting White Solder, the company had already been listed in reports from Amazon, Microsoft, Disney, and Intel, as reported by Folha de S.Paulo in March 2024. The four companies’ 2025 reports continue to list the Brazilian tin producer.
The mining company is also listed in reports from semiconductor manufacturers NVIDIA and AMD (Advanced Micro Devices), rocket and space systems manufacturer Rocket Lab, and Sony. The latter is also mentioned on White Solder’s own website, which claims to hold a “green certification” from the Japanese company and Panasonic.
Repórter Brasil contacted all the companies mentioned.
Without commenting specifically on the case, NVIDIA said it is “committed to the responsible sourcing of minerals” and that it routinely reviews its suppliers to ensure compliance with its responsible minerals sourcing policy.
Panasonic Group said it carries out “Green Procurement” activities, involving the purchase of products from suppliers with good environmental practices, such as proper chemical management and greenhouse gas emissions reduction. These actions, the company clarified, are not part of a certification program. Panasonic said it does not comment on relationships with specific companies but considers “sustainability, including respect for human rights” priorities in its mineral supply chain.
Microsoft and Intel said they would not comment on the case. Amazon, Disney, AMD, Rocket Lab, and Sony did not respond.
Taxpayer-Funded Mining
Aaron Mintzes, Deputy Director of Policy at Earthworks, a Washington-based organization, criticizes the spending of US government money on mining companies linked to socio-environmental violations. “Both at home and abroad, the Trump Administration exploits foreign nations and Indigenous Peoples in an unnecessary rush for minerals.,” he argues.
According to Mintzes, U.S. lawmakers could introduce safeguards for these populations into the Defense Production Act, a federal law that grants extraordinary powers to the executive branch to invest in the national defense industry during periods of crisis. Twice this year, Donald Trump invoked the law to expand energy-related production and impose restrictions on critical mineral exports.
“Congress can require the Department of Defense to prohibit spending taxpayer money on minerals bought from companies that are violating human rights or the rights of Indigenous Peoples,” he suggests.
This investigation received research support from the Pulitzer Center
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