In an attempt to combat surging organized crime and violence, the Brazilian government has taken the extraordinary step of temporizing militarization in key locations across the country. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced last Wednesday that an integrated operation is underway in response to growing organized crime in Rio de Janeiro and other states.
This multifaceted operation includes a blend of military and financial measures under the purview of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, the Ministry of Defense, the armed forces, and the federal police. Steps include beefing up enforcement actions at major ports, borders, and airports in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, increasing police personnel and equipping them better, and founding the Integrated Committee for Financial Investigation and Asset Recovery (CIFRA). The newly-created CIFRA primarily focuses on attenuating gang wealth, which indirectly could weaken their power.
Furthermore, extra personnel will be deployed in Rio de Janeiro highways as part of the operation. Establishing the Special Action Group to Combat Organized Crime (GAECO) forms part of this operation whose mandate is to block and discourage the activities of criminal fraternities in Brazil.
The Rio de Janeiro region serves as a significant logistical center for drug and weapon trafficking, with local gangs, commonly termed as “militias”, escalating their influence leading to an increment in violence. The temporary measures were enforced following multiple high-profile homicides and violent occurrences. The gangs set alight around 35 buses in Rio de Janeiro, circa a week ago, in retribution against the police assassination of a gang leader’s relative.
Since the operation’s initiation, the Brazilian police, in collaboration with the GAECO, enacted 28 arrests and sought and confiscated search warrants on Wednesday. This integrated operation is scheduled to stay put until May 2024, with a scope for potential extension.
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