HomeNewsBrief'Brazil Militias Developing Ties with Drug Gangs'
BRIEF

'Brazil Militias Developing Ties with Drug Gangs'

BRAZIL / 17 SEP 2014 BY ELYSSA PACHICO EN

According to authorities in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the city's illicit miltias have become cozier with the local drug gangs they were originally set up to combat, an alarming development for those looking to stem the miltias' expansion. 

As O Globo reported, Rio's organized crime investigative bureau has said that their investigations showed business ties had developed between the city's militias and drug gangs.

The bureau has documented several cases involving militias that have agreed to allow drug traffickers to operate in militia territory, in exchange for a fee. Militias have also recruited gang members to work with them, according to the investigative bureau. 

Authorities observed interactions between militias and drug gangs as early as 2010, just prior to the large-scale military occupation of Complexo do Alemao -- one of the first neighborhoods that the government attempted to secure as part of a wider crackdown on crime. Around this time, police recorded phone conversations of militia members discussing weapon sales with gangs in Alemao.  

Rio's miltias principally consist of active-duty and former police, soldiers, and prison guards. Active for three decades, they were originally formed in order to push drug traffickers out of certain neighborhoods. However, now the militias carry out a range of criminal activities, including charging locals "security" fees and carrying out extrajudicial killings.  

InSight Crime Analysis

As pointed in out in the O Globo article, if Rio's miltias are building a relationship with their former drug gang rivals, this could indicate they are under significant financial pressure. If the drug gangs are willing to pay the necessary fees to operate in the militias' territories, this could represent major profits for the militias, and could be too good for them to pass up. 

SEE ALSO:Coverage of Brazil Militias

The question now is whether this will push the militias closer towards getting directly involved in the drug trade. As one judge told O Globo, the potential profits from marijuana and cocaine represent far more than what the militias get from their neighborhood extortion schemes. 

The miltias would certainly not be the first paramilitary group to turn away from their original commitment of combatting a criminal group or other illegal armed actors. Colombia's paramilitary organizations originally arose as rural self-defense units against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas, but ended up deeply involved in the drug trade. There's also been accusations that some members of Mexico's vigilantes -- originally formed to combat organized crime -- have been compromised

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

BRAZIL / 1 SEP 2021

The increasing use of an instant money transfer app is driving express kidnappings in the Brazilian city of São Paulo…

BRAZIL / 26 JUL 2022

Indigenous communities in Brazil are using drones to fight deforestation and the frequent assaults of loggers on their lands.

BRAZIL / 7 OCT 2022

Latin America's environmental and land protectors are routinely murdered by the regions criminals.

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Receives Great Reception

27 MAY 2023

Several of InSight Crime’s most recent articles about Venezuela have been well received by regional media. Our article on Venezuela’s colectivos expanding beyond their political role to control access to…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime's Chemical Precursor Report Continues

19 MAY 2023

For the second week in a row, our investigation into the flow of precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs in Mexico has been cited by multiple regional media…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Chemical Precursor Report Widely Cited

THE ORGANIZATION / 12 MAY 2023

We are proud to see that our recently published investigation into the supply chain of chemical precursors feeding Mexico’s synthetic drug production has been warmly received.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Paraguay Election Coverage Draws Attention 

5 MAY 2023

InSight Crime looked at the various anti-organized crime policies proposed by the candidates in Paraguay’s presidential election, which was won on April 30 by Santiago Peña. Our pre-election coverage was cited…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Cited in OAS, CARICOM Reports

28 APR 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s work was cited nine times in a new report by the Organization of American States (OAS) titled “The Impact of Organized Crime on Women,…