Brazil and the U.S. will conduct joint operations to combat organized crime through shared intelligence and coordinated agency actions.
This partnership aims to dismantle the financial infrastructure of criminal organizations. By coordinating efforts between the Brazilian Federal Revenue, police, and the Council for Financial Activities Control (COAF), the two nations seek to create a state of "financial asphyxiation" for these groups.
Finance Minister Dario Durigan said that the two countries must advance cooperation to fight organized crime [3]. He said that this effort will include joint operations among various federal bodies, specifically highlighting the role of the Federal Revenue service [3].
According to reports, Durigan discussed these initiatives during a meeting in Washington on May 7, 2024 [2], which included discussions with Donald Trump [2]. The strategic goal is to prevent the movement of illicit funds by leveraging the combined regulatory and investigative powers of both nations.
Earlier reports indicated that a formal announcement regarding an agreement to combat organized crime was planned for April 10, 2024, in Brasília [1]. This timeline suggests a phased approach to the partnership, moving from high-level diplomatic discussions in the U.S. to official implementation within Brazil.
Durigan said, "Brazil and the US will carry out joint operations against crime" [2]. The collaboration focuses on the exchange of information to identify and freeze assets linked to transnational criminal networks.
“Brazil and the US will carry out joint operations against crime”
This agreement signals a shift toward financial warfare against organized crime, moving beyond traditional policing to target the money laundering pipelines that sustain cartels. By integrating the COAF and Federal Revenue with U.S. agencies, Brazil is attempting to close the gap in cross-border financial surveillance, which is critical for disrupting the operational capacity of transnational syndicates.
