Rio government negotiates US support to combat drug trafficking faction.
One of the agencies already involved in the negotiation is the Diplomatic Security Service, which is part of the U.S. Department of State.
Paulo Barros, Infomoney - One of the American agencies already involved in the negotiation is the Diplomatic Security Service, which is subordinate to the U.S. Department of State.
The Rio de Janeiro Public Security Secretariat is negotiating an agreement with the United States government to have Comando Vermelho (CV) recognized as an international criminal organization. This information was published by the newspaper Extra, which had access to exclusive documents on the subject.
According to the publication, one of the American agencies already involved in the negotiation is the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), which is subordinate to the U.S. Department of State and responsible for combating international crime.
Recognizing the CV as a Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO) would allow for broader action by US government agencies, such as the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), to combat the faction's activities. The newspaper points out that the partnership between the governments of Rio and the US has been under development since June 2024.
The justification for the agreement is based on evidence that CV was recruiting accomplices within the United States and that the faction had allied itself with cartels in South America to bring drugs into the North American country.
Main measures of the agreement - If Comando Vermelho is classified as a transnational criminal organization, members of the faction could be included in alerts within American immigration systems, making it more difficult for them to enter the U.S.
According to Extra, a draft memorandum of understanding between the U.S. State Department and the Rio de Janeiro Public Security Secretariat was prepared in August 2024. The document outlines joint actions to combat crimes such as corruption, drug trafficking, and money laundering, as well as to act against the use of falsified documents and capture international fugitives.
The agreement, if signed, will be valid for four years and will be reviewed annually. To date, the United States Consulate in Rio has not commented on the negotiations.
