Brazil: Gang truce in Amazonas falls apart

Event

Two criminal groups, the Family of the North (FDN) based in Manaus and the Red Command based in Rio de Janeiro, ended a three-year truce in mid-May and are now fighting for control over a strategic Solimões River drug trafficking route in the northern Amazonas region. Local news reports claim that the breakdown is a result of a FDN leader who brokered the deal leaving to join the Red Command.

Authorities have seen a recent spike in murders in Manaus as the truce began to breakdown. More violence in the region is expected and officials worry a new crime group, the First Capital Command, may try to move in to take over the Solimões River.

Context

The two groups formed a pact in 2015 over a route that is used to traffic cocaine from Colombia and Peru into Brazil. The alliance was originally started to keep the First Capital Command group out of Manaus and the state of Amazonas.

Advice

Individuals in Amazonas are advised to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity or objects to the relevant authorities.