Brazil cracks down on international drug trafficking by sea

Brazil’s Federal Police on Thursday (Jun. 11) launched Operation Balkans to combat a transnational criminal organization under scrutiny for international drug trafficking and money laundering.

The investigation was sparked by the seizure of some 2.7 tons of cocaine hidden on a sailboat, intercepted in international waters near Cape Verde, off the African coast, the authorities reported.

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Over the course of nearly three years of investigative work, the police identified a “criminal network dedicated to shipping cocaine from South America to Europe via transatlantic sea routes.”

The crackdown is taking place in cities across São Paulo, where 12 search and seizure warrants were executed at addresses linked to the suspects.

“Federal authorities also ordered the freezing of bank accounts and financial investments, as well as the seizure of vehicles, real estate, and other assets belonging to those under investigation, up to a limit of BRL 20 million.”

According to the police, the seized material will undergo forensic analysis “with the aim of further identifying those involved, clarifying the dynamics of the established facts, and supporting the continuation of criminal prosecution.”