started · updated
Bolivia alerts to expansion of Brazilian criminal groups in border regions
Bolivian authorities have issued urgent warnings regarding the expansion of Brazilian criminal organizations, specifically Comando Vermelho and the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), into Bolivian territory. Minister of Government Marco Antonio Oviedo reported that these groups are actively recruiting Bolivian citizens and attempting to seize control of border municipalities, such as Santa Rosa del Abuná in the Pando department.
In the Santa Cruz department, the government is responding to a surge in violence and targeted killings. Governor Juan Pablo Velasco and the Departmental Security Council have coordinated with the military to deploy Army, Air Force, and Navy special forces to the Chiquitania region. Authorities are establishing strategic command posts in San Ignacio de Velasco to combat organized crime and suspected drug trafficking activities.
In a separate incident, Maximiliano Óscar Martínez, a 30-year-old Argentine Federal Police officer, was located in El Alto, Bolivia, after being reported missing for eight days. Martínez, who is stationed in La Quiaca, was found in good health but experiencing amnesia. Investigations are ongoing to determine how he traveled hundreds of kilometers from the border to El Alto.
Additionally, health officials in Montero are demanding a retraction from the Departmental Health Service (SEDES) director, Jorge Mehdi, after he characterized the Montero Third-Level Hospital as an ‘elephant blanc’ (white elephant).
Entities
Bolivian National Police · Bolivian government · Comando Vermelho · Marco Antonio Oviedo · PCC · Pando · San Ignacio de Velasco · Santa Cruz · Sebastián Marset
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The PCC is attempting to take control of the Santa Rosa del Abuná municipality in Pando. lapatria.bo
- [● 2 SOURCES] Brazilian criminal organizations Comando Vermelho and PCC are recruiting Bolivian citizens. lapatria.bo
- [● 2 SOURCES] Comando Vermelho is extorting payments for goods to pass through the Santa Rosa-Montevideo route. lapatria.bo
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Preliminary investigations suggest recent killings in San Ignacio de Velasco are linked to drug trafficking. eju.tv
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Special forces from the Army, Air Force, and Navy will be deployed to combat organized crime in the Chiquitania region. ahoradigital.net
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Departmental Security Council of Santa Cruz held an emergency meeting to address rising violence. ahoradigital.net