Brazil's federal police will establish a permanent office in Bolivia to combat cross-border drug trafficking, a move announced by Interior Minister Marco Antonio Oviedo during the funeral of a slain officer. The decision implements agreements reached in April by Presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Rodrigo Paz Pereira.
The announcement follows a wave of violence in Santa Cruz department, where nine people were killed over five days. Authorities attribute the deaths to hitmen linked to rival Brazilian criminal organizations Primeiro Comando da Capital and Comando Vermelho, both designated as terrorist groups by the United States in May. The gangs are fighting for control of drug trafficking routes through Bolivian territory.
A new 'Secure Borders' plan will launch within two weeks with joint operations at four crossings. Bolivia, the world's third-largest cocaine producer according to the UN, has expelled 17 international crime bosses since President Paz took office in November.