Bolivia strengthens Brazil border against drug cartels: 3,400 km under surveillance
President Rodrigo Paz launched a security plan in Guayaramerín following at least 15 murders in recent weeks. Co-ordinated operations with Brazil cover regions of Beni, Pando and Santa Cruz.
Security plan at the Bolivian-Brazilian border amid advance of organised crime
According to las24horasdejujuy.com.ar, Bolivia's president, Rodrigo Paz, announced on Thursday a plan to strengthen security on the border with Brazil, in response to the expansion of organised crime driven by the dispute between Brazilian cartels over drug trafficking routes.
The initiative was presented in Guayaramerín, a town located in northern Bolivia, on the border with Brazil. There, the Bolivian police have intensified land patrols and the Naval Force is carrying out operations on the river shared between both countries. The operations also extend to three regions: Beni, Pando and Santa Cruz, which together share 3,400 kilometres of border with Brazil.
"Who wants to come to do tourism if there is a risk that tomorrow there will be a security conflict?", Paz said during his speech. "Who wants to invest in a city where there is no security?", he added.
The plan comes following a shooting in a border town that resulted in the detention of four people. Two of them belonged to the First Command of the Capital (PCC) and were involved in a dispute over drug trafficking routes with its rival, the Red Command (CV), both classified as terrorist organisations by the United States. The incident left no injured.
The increase in violence in the area has been notable: at least 15 murders were reported in recent weeks, including that of a Bolivian police officer.
Drug trafficking experts point out that those routes were under the control of alleged Uruguayan drug trafficker Sebastián Marset, captured in Bolivia and handed over to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in March.
The police commander, Mirko Sokol, affirmed that the objective of the plan is to "establish a state presence" in the region. Bolivia ranks third worldwide in cocaine production, behind Colombia and Peru.
The operations are carried out in co-ordination with Brazil to prevent criminals from crossing the border. During the event in Guayaramerín, Paz was accompanied by Brazilian authorities from the state of Rondônia. The mayor of Guajará-Mirim, Fábio Netinho, expressed through his Facebook account his commitment to a border that is "safer and more integrated".
Paz attributed part of the problem to the nearly 20 years of government under Evo Morales (2006–2019) and Luis Arce (2020–2025), during which, according to the president, border controls were relaxed and the expansion of organised crime was facilitated. The Minister of Government, Marco Antonio Oviedo, recently acknowledged the increase in robberies and homicides in this border area.
Source: Google News BO — Crime