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Transnational Organized Crime and the Role of the Armed Forces in Brazil: The Case of Operation Agata

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Peace and Violence in Brazil

Part of the book series: Rethinking Peace and Conflict Studies ((RCS))

Abstract

Although Brazil has a long history of using its military in domestic missions, the present decade has seen important changes in the scope and complexity of the role of the military in the field of security and peace. In a country with over 60,000 homicides yearly, what in many developed countries is seen as a last resort, the use of the federal military in public security, is turning into a common trend in Brazil. Instead of focusing on controversial urban GLO operations (Garantia da Lei e da Ordem), this chapter focuses on how the Armed Forces are being used against transnational organized crime in the border regions of Brazil. This analysis is more concerned with studying a specific operation than opening a broader debate about military missions. It sheds light on how, rather than conventional military power, public security operations were seen to be the priority for the armed forces and the driver of their organizational modernization.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    David Pion Berlin. Military Missions in Democratic Latin America (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016), 12.

  2. 2.

    Luiz T. Freire, Kesia G. A. G. and Natália de Brito Oliveira da Costa, “Ágata Operations: Lessons learned from the logistics command,” chap. 11 in Culture and Defence in Brazil: An inside look at Brazil’s aerospace (New York and London: Routledge, 2017).

  3. 3.

    Phil Williams, “Transnational Criminal Networks,” in Networks and Netwars: The future of terror, crime and militancy (Washington: NDU PRESS, 2017), 77–78.

  4. 4.

    Klaus von Lampe, “Introduction—The study of Organized Crime,” in Organized Crime: Analyzing illegal activities, criminal structures, and extra-legal governance (New York: SAGE, 1961), 4.

  5. 5.

    United Nations, “United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols Thereto” (Vienna: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2004).

  6. 6.

    Carlos A. M. de Queiroz, “Grupos criminosos dominam fronteiras do país,” in Crime organizado no Brasil: comentários à Lei n° 9.034/95: Aspectos policiais e judiciários: teoria e prática (São Paulo: Iglu, 1998), 159.

  7. 7.

    Antônio c. Videira, “Crimes transfronteiriços” (Power-Point presentation, Brasília, DF, October 27, 2015).

  8. 8.

    Alex J. das Neves et al., “Densidade Institucional de Segurança,” in Segurança Pública nas Fronteiras: diagnóstico socioeconômico e demográfico (Brasília: Secretaria Nacional de Segurança Pública, 2016), 73.

  9. 9.

    Márcio Rocha, “Ilícitos Transnacionais e suas Implicações para a Defesa Nacional” (lecture, Escola Superior de Guerra—Centro de Estudos Estratégicos, Brasília, July 15, 2015), 5–14.

  10. 10.

    Ibid.

  11. 11.

    David Pion Berlin, “Military Missions in Democratic Latin America,” 12.

  12. 12.

    Elinor C. Sloan, Modern Military Strategy: An introduction (London and New York: Routledge, 2014).

  13. 13.

    Freire, Gomes and Costa, “Ágata operations: Lessons learned,” chap. 11. See also a full map in: 2021. https://agenciadenoticias.ibge.gov.br/en/agencia-press-room/2185-news-agency/releases-en/24092-ibge-releases-list-of-municipalities-in-borderland-strip. Accessed August 8, 2021.

  14. 14.

    Marco A. Costa, Amarildo Baesso and Carlos H. Mussi. “Abertura,” in Fronteiras do Brasil: diagnóstico e agenda de pesquisa para política pública (lecture, Brasília: IPEA, 2017). See also a full map in: Brazil—Grupo de Trabalho Interfederativo de Integração Fronteiriça. Bases para uma Proposta de Desenvolvimento e Integração da Faixa de Fronteira. Brasília: GTIIF, 2010, p. 20.

  15. 15.

    Alex J. das Neves et al., Segurança Pública nas Fronteias: Arco Norte (Brasília: Ministério da Justiça e Cidadania, 2016).

  16. 16.

    Ibid.

  17. 17.

    Ibid.

  18. 18.

    Alex J. das Neves et al., Segurança Pública nas Fronteias: Arco Central (Brasília: Ministério da Justiça e Cidadania, 2016).

  19. 19.

    Ibid.

  20. 20.

    Alex J. das Neves et al., Segurança Pública nas Fronteias: Arco Sul (Brasília: Ministério da Justiça e Cidadania, 2016).

  21. 21.

    Marcos A.F. S. Ferreira, “A Política de Segurança dos Estados Unidos e a Tríplice Fronteira nos pós 11 de setembro: uma análise dos interesses norte-americanos e o posicionamento brasileiro” (PhD thesis., Universidade Estadual de Campinas, 2010), 119–20.

  22. 22.

    Marcos A. S. V. Ferreira, Combate ao Terrorismo na América do Sul: uma análise das políticas do Brasil e dos Estados Unidos para a Tríplice Fronteira (Curitiba: Prismas, 2016).

  23. 23.

    David Pion Berlin, “Military Missions in Democratic Latin America,” 65.

  24. 24.

    Paulo U. Mendes, “Operações Ágata No Arco Sul Do Brasil: uma análise sob a lente da Inteligência,” Revista Brasileira de Inteligência, no. 11 (December 2016), 31–2. Available at: https://rbi.enap.gov.br/index.php/RBI/article/view/134/109. Accessed August 8, 2021.

  25. 25.

    Brazil. Presidency. Decree of 2011, number 7.496. Available at: http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_Ato2011-2014/2011/Decreto/D7496.htm. Accessed November 8, 2019,

  26. 26.

    “Strategic Implications of Brazil’s Military Operations” Stratfor (website), Worldview, updated August 10, 2012, Available at: https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/strategic-implications-brazils-military-operations.

  27. 27.

    Ibid.

  28. 28.

    Brazil. Presidency. Decree of 2016, number 8. 903. http://www.in.gov.br/materia/-/asset_publisher/Kujrw0TZC2Mb/content/id/21294266/do1-2016-11-17-decreto-n-8-903-de-16-de-novembro-de-2016-21294188. Accessed November 8, 2019,

  29. 29.

    It should be noted that the actions of the Brazilian armed forces in the border region represent subsidiary attributions, that is, they serve as support to the public security agencies. Brazil. Presidency. Decree of 1999, number 97. Available at: http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/lcp/lcp97.htm. Accessed November 8, 2019.

  30. 30.

    Brazil. Decree of 2016, number 8. 903.

  31. 31.

    Ibid.

  32. 32.

    Spencer D. Ferreira, “O emprego dos órgãos de inteligência em operações em ambiente interagências na faixa de fronteira” (PhD diss., Escola de Aperfeiçoamento de Oficiais, 2017), 37–42.

  33. 33.

    Moury, Taciana, “Brazilian Armed Forces Conduct Joint Border Operation.” Available at: https://dialogo-americas.com/articles/brazilian-armed-forces-conduct-joint-border-operation/#.YRBYQ4hKhEY. Accessed August 8, 2021.

  34. 34.

    Mendes, “Operações Ágata no Arco Sul do Brasil.”

  35. 35.

    Brazil, Ministry of Defense, “Defense White Paper,” 2012. Available at: https://www.defesa.gov.br/arquivos/estado_e_defesa/livro_branco/lbdn_2013_ing_net.pdf. 167. Accessed November 8, 2019,

  36. 36.

    Eduardo C. de L. e Silva, Cooperação Interagências no Combate ao Tráfico Internacional de Drogas: contribuições da operação Ágata no âmbito da fronteira brasileira Arco-Sul (Monograph, Universidade Federal do Pampa, 2017), 22.

  37. 37.

    “Defense White Paper,” 167.

  38. 38.

    de L. e Silva, “Cooperação Interagências,” 34.

  39. 39.

    Marcela Donadio and Samanta Kussrow, A Comparative Atlas of Defense in Latin America and Caribbean (Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, RESDAL, 2016), 128.

  40. 40.

    de L. e Silva, “Cooperação Interagências,” 15. See also: Stratfor (website), “Strategic Implications of Brazil’s Military Operations.”

  41. 41.

    More specifically, it is within the Armed Forces Joint Staff where the political and strategic levels meet. Newton C. B. Luz, Operações Interagências: Uma abordagem estratégica (Monograph, Escola Superior de Guerra, 2012), 50.

  42. 42.

    Mendes, “Operações Ágata no Arco Sul do Brasil.”

  43. 43.

    Zaia, Sophia, “As Operações Ágata,” Conjuntura Global, July/September 2013, 3.

  44. 44.

    Luz, “Operações Interagências.”

  45. 45.

    Luz, “Operações Interagências,” 51.

  46. 46.

    Presidency of Brazilian Republic, “Defense White Paper,” 2013. Available at: https://www.defesa.gov.br/arquivos/estado_e_defesa/livro_branco/lbdn_2013_ing_net.pdf; Adriana I. Bellintani and Américo A. Lira, “Amazônia: defesa e segurança da região prioritária” Revista Eletrônica da ANPHLAC, January/July, 2014, 16.

  47. 47.

    This body has representatives from the Ministries of Defense, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Energy Mines, also the Ministry of Justice, among others. Adriana I. Bellintani and Américo A. Lira, “Amazônia: defesa e segurança.”

  48. 48.

    Zaia, “As Operações Ágata.”

  49. 49.

    Until then there were only the Military Commands of the Amazon, the Midwest, and the South. In Safira M. Figueredo, “Operação Ágata: o poder de polícia das Forças Armadas.” (PhD diss., Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, 2017), 68–77.

  50. 50.

    Figueredo, “Operação Ágata.”

  51. 51.

    Branco, Mariana, “Brazil Armed Forces launch border patrol operation,” Agência Brasil (website), updated May 14, 2014. Available at: http://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/en/geral/noticia/2014-05/brazil-armed-forces-launch-border-patrol-operation. Accessed August 8, 2021.

  52. 52.

    Figueredo, “Operação Ágata.”

  53. 53.

    Defense Ministry, “NUP 60502.000941/2018-51” Serviço de Informações ao Cidadão, 2018.

  54. 54.

    Figueredo, “Operação Ágata.”

  55. 55.

    de L. e Silva, “Cooperação Interagências.”

  56. 56.

    Moury, “Brazilian Armed Forces Conduct Joint Border Operation “

  57. 57.

    Ibid.

  58. 58.

    Pires, Major André B. K., “Operação Ágata: a realidade do ambiente interagências,” Doutrina Militar Terrestre, July/September, 2013.

  59. 59.

    Hübner, Marco R. W. Fronteiras do Brasil: a busca pela integração e interoperabilidade das políticas governamentais (Monograph, Escola Superior de Guerra, 2015), 17.

  60. 60.

    Rocha, “Ilícitos Transnacionais,” 12.

  61. 61.

    de L. e Silva, “Cooperação Interagências.”

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  1. Postgraduate Program in Political Science and International Relations (PPGCPRI), Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), João Pessoa, Brazil

    Augusto W. M. Teixeira Júnior & Maria Eduarda L. S. Freire

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  1. Augusto W. M. Teixeira Júnior
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  2. Maria Eduarda L. S. Freire
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  1. Department of International Relations, Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), João Pessoa, Brazil

    Marcos Alan Ferreira

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Teixeira Júnior, A.W.M., Freire, M.E.L.S. (2022). Transnational Organized Crime and the Role of the Armed Forces in Brazil: The Case of Operation Agata. In: Ferreira, M.A. (eds) Peace and Violence in Brazil. Rethinking Peace and Conflict Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79209-1_4

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