As more real estate investors recognize the value of purchasing land, homes, and businesses in Mexico, there is more building and remodeling going on there than ever before. Many of these investors are foreigners, who bring with them a love of fine woods used in their homes and offices. Unfortunately, as with all other products that are in great demand, problems soon surface and the builder or remodeler must be on their guard or suffer the consequences. In 2009, there are precious few old growth forests left in the world. Some of them are in Guatemala, where some of the finest red cedar and mahogany in the world is being stolen in broad daylight. Trucks rumble across the southern, sparsely populated areas of the Yucatan Peninsula almost unchallenged. From there, they make their way to Villahermosa, Tabasco, to the underground market. In a scheme set up much like money laundering, this illegal lumber is "laundered" throughout Mexico's growing building and remodeling industry. Of all the nations in the world, Mexico is the last place a potential builder or remodeler wants to get involved in a crime against the environment. Mexico is one of the two G-20 nations that is on target for reducing its carbon footprint and takes the concept of "green living" seriously. The penalty for trafficking in illegal precious woods is stiff and non-negotiable. The prison term is from 1 to 9 years and the mandatory fine that goes with it is between 20 and 50 thousand daily minimum wages. That works out to a possible penalty of 9 years in prison and (not "or") a fine of approximately a quarter of a million dollars. This is not to say that lumber, even red cedar and mahogany, should not be used in modern building and remodeling in Mexico. Mexico has a thriving lumber business with plenty of legal lumber available. It is to say that becoming involved in the illegal precious lumber trade, especially if the lumber comes from Guatemala, is foolish and can easily be avoided by insisting on a certificate of origin. The builder or remodeler should be doing this even if they are not using precious woods in their projects because each state has different species of trees that are at risk and their use carries state penalties as well. As always, documentation is the key to success in Mexico. A word to the wise should be sufficient. If there is no certificate of origin for the lumber you choose for your project, or if the certificate of origin looks strange in any way, contact PROFEPA, the Federal Attorney General's Office for the Protection of the Environment, immediately. (source: PROFEPA )