Brazilian authorities emphasize that Bolivia has become a refuge for drug traffickers from South America. The situation pushed the PCC (First Capital Command) to act to develop its activities and consolidate its presence in the neighboring country.
The Brazilian criminal faction already had members and allies in Bolivia, but its action has now expanded with the aim of exercising territorial domination in the region.
According to federal police investigators, Brazilian groups have been operating in Bolivia for years and doing business with drug traffickers in this Andean country to buy cocaine.
More recently, according to investigators, the São Paulo faction began targeting strategic corridors in Bolivia, notably in the departments (state equivalents) of Santa Cruz – home to Santa Cruz de la Sierra, the country’s largest city and economic center – and Beni. Both border Brazil.
Bolivia is considered strategic because it is the main entry hub for cocaine paste produced in Peru. The product enters the country in its original form and is transformed into cocaine hydrochloride in Bolivian laboratories.
The actions of Brazilian criminal factions were the subject of a meeting of Mercosur authorities in November. During the meeting held at the Ministry of Justice, in Brasilia, the Mercosur Strategic Commission against Transnational Organized Crime was created.
Recently, fugitive Uruguayan drug trafficker Sebastián Marset appeared in a video alongside suspected PCC members during a confrontation with Bolivian police.
Bolivia was already known as a haven for major drug traffickers, particularly those associated with the CCP. The presence of Brazilian criminals in the country is explained by the ease of communication with the operators of cocaine production laboratories.
Additionally, according to investigators, Santa Cruz de la Sierra offers a good quality of life for fugitives, with relatively low costs, extensive infrastructure and proximity to Brazil.
Recently, drug trafficker Marcos Roberto de Almeida, known as Tuta, was arrested by agents of the Special Force to Combat Organized Crime in Bolivia, in an action carried out with the help of the Federal Police.
He was arrested in Santa Cruz de la Sierra for using a false document while trying to renew his registration abroad. On the run for five years, Tuta was designated number 1 of the faction outside prisons.
This year, Juliano Biron da Silva, one of the main leaders of the Rio Grande do Sul-born Os Manos faction, which has ties to the PCC, was also arrested in the city.
According to Federal Police investigators, Brazilian drug traffickers present in Bolivia are generally more capitalized.
There are indications that drug traffickers linked to the PCC, such as Gilberto Aparecido dos Santos (Fuminho) and André Oliveira Macedo (André do Rap, still at large), are also hiding in the country.
Among the places identified by the police as areas where these criminals reside is Urubó, an upscale region in the Santa Cruz de la Sierra metropolitan area.
The report sought comment from Bolivia’s police and the country’s embassy in Brazil, but there were no responses until publication of this text.
How Leaf As the PCC and Comando Vermelho have shown, they are used to doing business in other countries. The network of cooperation with various criminal groups is directly linked to the fact that the factions control strategic routes inside Brazilian territory, including border areas and ports.
The factions provide logistical services to international groups, with the aim of facilitating the flow of drugs to other continents, such as Europe and Africa.
In September, the federal police launched Operation Vila do Conde to combat international drug trafficking and money laundering. The investigation revealed that Fernando Cavalcanti Ribeiro, known as Pato Donald, was the leader of the criminal organization.
According to the investigation, he controlled cocaine production in Bolivia and negotiated directly with European buyers.
One of the routes identified by investigators showed that the drug was produced in Bolivia, sent to Sorocaba (SP) and then flown to Belém (PA), from where it headed to Europe.
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