President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has ordered a military intervention in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and along Brazil's western border to combat organised crime. Thousands of troops have been deployed to ports, airports, and border areas in an effort to disrupt drug and gun smuggling routes. The operation, announced last Friday, is expected to last until May.
The deployment follows a surge in violence, including paramilitary gangs setting fire to buses and a train in west Rio to prevent the arrest of a mafia boss. In early October, three doctors were mistakenly shot dead outside a beach hotel. Drone images also revealed drug traffickers holding guerrilla-style training sessions in the Complexo da Maré favela near Rio's international airport.
Under the operation, 600 air force personnel will be sent to Rio's international airport and Guarulhos airport in São Paulo. Over 1,000 navy members will operate in container ports in Rio, Itaguaí, and Santos, from where cocaine is shipped to Europe. Meanwhile, 2,000 army troops will reinforce border patrols with Paraguay and Bolivia, key routes for illegal marijuana, cocaine, and weapons.
President Lula stated the federal government is determined to help Brazil 'free itself from organised crime, gangs, drug trafficking, and gun trafficking,' acknowledging that violence has been worsening daily. The intervention comes after years of declining murder rates, but recent events have led to widespread criticism of the state's inability to maintain order.
Security expert Pablo Nunes attributed the crisis to the 2021 killing of militia leader Wellington da Silva Braga, known as Ecko, which sparked a turf war among rival gangs. Nunes described the situation in Rio as 'completely out of control' and questioned the lack of a coherent strategy behind the military deployment, calling the actions 'impromptu movements' rather than a planned response.
