Transnational crime and violence on Bolivia-Brazil border

Violence involving transnational criminal groups has escalated along the Bolivia-Brazil border. Following an armed attack on a farm in the San Matías region that left three people dead, a Bolivian police sub-lieutenant was killed in an ambush near the border.

In a subsequent development, a group of suspects linked to the previous violence in Bolivia fled into Brazil via aircraft after being intercepted by the Brazilian Air Force. Following a seven-day search, a confrontation with the Brazilian Special Police Operations Battalion (Bope) in Mato Grosso do Sul resulted in the deaths of four men, including a Bolivian fugitive identified as José Mariano Paes (alias 'Piña'), who is highly wanted for the killing of the police officer.

The recent violence is attributed to a territorial dispute between criminal factions, specifically the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho (CV), competing for control over drug trafficking routes near San Matías. This conflict has resulted in 14 deaths over a one-week period.

In response to the escalating instability, the Bolivian government has announced an agreement with Brazil to establish Federal Police bases in several Bolivian border cities, including Cobija, Guayaramerín, San Matías, and Puerto Suárez, in an effort to curb organized crime.