The Brazilian Navy (MB) has increased its naval presence on the country’s northwest border, more specifically on the Juruá River in the state of Acre. Through the 9th Naval District Command, the MB carried out interagency operations in the region to reinforce the fight against cross-border and environmental crimes.
The River Patrol Vessel “Amapá”, subordinate to the Amazonas Flotilla Command, was used for patrol and naval inspection actions, in cooperation with the Federal Police and the Special Border Operations Group (GeFron), of the Government of Acre. Two Hospital Assistance Vessels (NAsH) also operate simultaneously in the region.The Commander of the Amazon Flotilla, Captain Sandir Antonio de Freitas D’Almeida, explained that river routes are widely exploited by criminal organizations for various illicit activities, especially drug trafficking.
The Commander of the River Patrol Vessel “Amapá”, Corvette Captain Vitor Sucena, notes that every year the Navy sends the Hospital Assistance Vessel (NAsH) “Doutor Montenegro” to the region, which provides basic health care to indigenous and riverside communities for about four months. This time, the presence of the Navy was reinforced with the use of the Patrol Vessel.
“This interaction between the Brazilian Navy, the Federal Police and GeFron was fundamental, as it strengthened the capabilities of each institution. With this effort, we were able to inspect almost 200 vessels and around a thousand crew members of these vessels in two weeks,” added Corvette Captain Vitor Sucena.
According to the Commander, security agencies observed a reduction in the crime rate in the region during this period, which is not common during Carnival, demonstrates the effectiveness of joint operations between the agencies. “The ship has speedboats that were used in hard-to-reach areas and also a team with a sniffer dog, which increased our capacity to act,” he added.