Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva deployed military security forces to Brazil’s main ports and airports on Wednesday in response to rising crime in Rio de Janeiro state. Gang members recently set 35 buses on fire in Rio after a police operation killed a local crime boss. Gang members also murdered three doctors in Rio last month after mistaking them for rival gangsters.
Sao Paulo’s Port of Santos and Guarulhos Airport, the largest respective transit hubs in all of Latin America, are included in the sweeping security operation. The Brazilian military will also deploy to the Port of Itaguai and Galeao Airport in Rio de Janeiro state. These sites are frequent destinations for weapons shipments to Brazil’s powerful street gangs, as well as export hubs for cocaine going to Europe. Lula also instructed the army and air force to strengthen security on Brazil’s borders to prevent drug and arms trafficking, particularly in the western states of Parana, Mato Grosso, and Mato Grosso do Sul. The temporary military measures are set to end in May 2024.
