Lula and Trump agree on fighting international organized crime
The Brazilian presidency officially announced that important telephone talks took place between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his American counterpart Donald Trump, where the two leaders agreed on Tuesday to launch a new phase of joint security cooperation aimed primarily at combating transnational organized crime.
According to a statement released by the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, President Lula, during the nearly 40-minute call, emphasized the "urgent and paramount need" to join forces with the United States to combat international criminal networks that have become a threat to the national security of both countries. For his part, US President Donald Trump expressed his "full readiness" to work alongside Brazil to confront these organizations and undermine their influence.
A tense regional context and security concerns
These talks between the leaders of the two largest economies in the Americas come at a highly sensitive time, amid escalating regional tensions. The atmosphere is further clouded by the fallout from recent US airstrikes targeting suspected drug traffickers off the Venezuelan coast. Since the beginning of September, US forces have conducted raids on more than 20 vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans, resulting in the deaths of at least 83 people. These operations have sparked considerable controversy, given Washington's failure to provide conclusive public evidence that the vessels were involved in smuggling.
"Financial strangulation" strategy for gangs
The talks focused particularly on the financial aspects of crime, with Lula briefing Trump on recent Brazilian security operations aimed at "crippling the financial capabilities of organized crime." Brazil is adopting a strategy that seeks to track money laundering networks and identify those operating from abroad, rather than relying solely on direct armed confrontations.
In this context, Brazilian authorities have intensified their crackdown against the First Command of the Capital (PCC), one of the most dangerous criminal factions in South America. Security forces have successfully dismantled a complex money laundering network that used the fuel sector as a cover for its illicit activities.
International dimensions of organized crime
It is worth noting that the danger posed by these gangs extends beyond Brazil's borders. The "First Command" gang, which originated within São Paulo prisons, has close ties to the notorious Italian "Ndrangheta" mafia in Calabria. This alliance forms a conduit for smuggling South American-produced cocaine through Brazilian ports to European markets, making international cooperation essential.
Security efforts also focused on confronting the "Red Command" (Comando Vermelho) faction, which is based in the densely populated favelas of Rio de Janeiro. The end of October saw one of the deadliest police operations in the country's history against this faction, resulting in the deaths of more than 120 people, indicating an escalating confrontation between the state and organized crime gangs.
