The Argentine government declared a maximum alert status at border crossings with Brazil and ordered the deployment of the Army to reinforce security in the region. According to RFI, the decision was made following Operation Contenção, carried out by Rio de Janeiro security forces against the Comando Vermelho faction in Rio de Janeiro. The mega-operation, which involved 2,500 police officers, left 121 dead, four of them security force agents.
In an interview at the Casa Rosada, Security Minister Patricia Bullrich stated that the measure aims to prevent the entry of criminals who might attempt to cross Argentine territory. “I will declare maximum alert at the borders to ensure there is no crossing into Argentine territory by those who are clearly moving away from the center of the conflict in Rio de Janeiro,” she declared.
Reinforced Inspections and Cooperation with Neighboring Countries
According to Bullrich, the alert involves rigorous inspections of all Brazilians entering Argentina. “This maximum alert means scrutinizing all Brazilians coming to Argentina, checking criminal records, but without confusing tourists with Comando Vermelho members,” she emphasized.
The minister also sent a letter to the Ministry of Defense requesting military reinforcement at the border based on the so-called “stampede theory,” according to which, when cornered, criminal groups seek refuge in other countries. She also ordered intensified cooperation with Brazilian and Paraguayan police forces for information exchange and joint operations.
Troops, Armored Vehicles, and Helicopters Sent to Misiones
Defense Minister Luis Petri confirmed the deployment of troops to the province of Misiones, on the border with the Brazilian states of Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul. “We will send Army control and surveillance teams to reinforce the border with Brazil. It is essential to protect Argentines from the ‘exodus’ mentioned by the Security Minister. They are narcoterrorists with military firepower, using armed drones,” Petri said in an interview on A24 channel.
Military actions will focus mainly on the Triple Frontier, between Puerto Iguazú (Argentina), Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil), and Ciudad del Este (Paraguay). The plan includes deploying armored vehicles, helicopters, military trucks, and cyber defense units, as well as aerial and surveillance operations.
Brazilian Factions Declared Terrorist Organizations
Minister Bullrich confirmed that Comando Vermelho and Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) have been officially classified as terrorist organizations in Argentina. The decision was made in early October, and the two factions were added to the Public Registry of Persons and Entities Related to Terrorism Acts (REPET), linked to the Ministry of Justice.
“In Argentina, there are 39 imprisoned Brazilians, five of whom belong to Comando Vermelho and seven or eight to the PCC. We have very strict control over them, and they are isolated so they have no power,” Bullrich stated, according to the report. The minister also criticized the Brazilian prison system. “We do not agree with the theory of coexisting with drug trafficking. In Brazil, there are prisons where judges cannot enter because they are controlled by traffickers.”
Alignment with the US
Bullrich added that Brazilian factions have links to international terrorism, citing the 2023 arrest of Brazilians recruited by the Lebanese group Hezbollah. “They had the entire internal structure of the PCC that helped the terrorists. That’s why we declared this organization narcoterrorist,” she explained.
In August, the Argentine government had already declared the Venezuelan Cartel of the Suns a terrorist organization, aligning with the US decision. Earlier this month, the Ecuadorian factions Los Choneros and Los Lobos also received the same classification.
Bolivia’s President-Elect Also Requests Border Security Reinforcement After Operation Against Criminal Faction in Rio Bolivia’s president-elect, Rodrigo Paz, requested on Thursday (30) that the government of Luis Arce adopt immediate measures to reinforce security at borders with Brazil. The request comes after a major police operation in Rio de Janeiro, which resulted in over 120 deaths and targeted the Comando Vermelho (CV) faction.
“Bolivia Cannot Allow Criminal Infiltration,” Says Paz
In a statement, according to CNN Brasil, the president-elect said firm actions are needed to protect the Bolivian state. “Bolivia cannot allow foreign criminal structures to infiltrate its territory or compromise state security. The country demands coordination, responsibility, and firmness,” he declared.
In the statement, Paz urges the Arce government to adopt all necessary control and security measures to prevent the entry of members of Brazilian criminal organizations. The text also mentions the “grave episodes of violence that recently occurred in Rio de Janeiro” and states that border protection must be treated as a national priority, above any political differences.
Source: Agência Brasil & brasil247.com