Brazil's Anti‑Organized Crime Program Seizes $3 B in Assets, Arrests 18,855

Between 12 May and 1 July 2026, Brazil's Programa Brasil Contra o Crime Organizado, coordinated by the Ministry of Justice and 17,175 security agents, carried out nationwide operations that resulted in the arrest of 18,855 people. The actions seized 134.8 tonnes of drugs, 2,159 firearms, 31,418 rounds of ammunition, property and vehicles worth R$ 723.1 million, and blocked R$ 324.9 million in financial assets. Police also destroyed 93,667 cannabis plants.

According to the Ministry, the crackdown contributed to notable reductions in violent and property crimes compared with the same period in 2025: homicides fell 17.5%, fatal robberies (latrocínios) 14.3%, lethal bodily‑injury assaults 38.7%; cargo and vehicle theft dropped 31.9% and 26.6% respectively, and theft from financial institutions fell 71.4%. The programme, funded with R$ 11 billion (R$ 1 billion from the federal budget and R$ 10 billion via BNDES loans), reports a financial return of R$ 50 for every R$ 1 invested.