| Last weekend, Brazilians living in the | | | | that the security sector here has a long way |
| greater Sao Paulo metropolitan area witnessed | | | | to go before it has any significant control |
| one of the country's largest prison riots in | | | | over organized crime. These rebellions also |
| the past five years, organized and | | | | highlight the superior communication networks |
| orchestrated by Sao Paulo's largest criminal | | | | operated by Brazilian organized crime. |
| faction, the First Capital Command (PCC in | | | | Communication is fundamental When Fernandinho |
| Portuguese).When Sao Paulo state authorities | | | | Beira-Mar was transferred from his prison |
| transferred some 756 PCC leaders, the PCC | | | | cell in Rio de Janeiro after he orchestrated |
| criminal enterprise, led by Willians Herbas | | | | a prison riot there in September 2002 to mask |
| Camacho (a.k.a. Marcola), implemented its | | | | the assassination of rival gang leaders, |
| plan to start riots in dozens of prisons in | | | | authorities found a number of luxury items |
| Sao Paulo and around the country. They took | | | | including silk pajamas. But what surprised |
| advantage of the unusually lax security | | | | them more was the number of abandoned cell |
| environment over the weekend when some 10,000 | | | | phones. Reports from Rio de Janeiro daily, O |
| prisoners were given a day pass to visit | | | | Globo, claim that Beira-Mar used up to a |
| families on the outside for Mother's Day, and | | | | dozen cell phones to communicate with |
| thousands more civilians entered prisons to | | | | lieutenants and other subordinates in his |
| visit inmates on the inside.As one prison | | | | black market network of guns and drugs |
| after another fell under the control of | | | | shipments and sales.In a similar fashion, |
| rioting inmates, the hostage count rocketed | | | | leaders of the PCC use cell phones to |
| into the hundreds. Meanwhile, organized | | | | communicate with one another between prisons |
| attacks on police stations around Sao Paulo | | | | and between prisoners and gang members on the |
| kept security forces busy defending | | | | outside. Both the Civil Police and the |
| themselves. At the same time, masked gunmen | | | | Federal Police operate listening posts, which |
| commandeered city buses, ordering them | | | | enable security officials to piece together |
| evacuated before burning them to the | | | | actionable intelligence on plans for |
| ground.The weekend's total included over 250 | | | | rebellions and other gang operations. |
| separate attacks on police stations, stores, | | | | However, the use of two-way radios has made |
| and other establishments. There were 115 | | | | that task much more difficult.In both Rio and |
| people killed, including 32 policemen and | | | | Sao Paulo, two-way radios are used by |
| prison guards and 71 gang members. Another 49 | | | | criminals to relay messages to other |
| people were injured. Some 215 hostages were | | | | incarcerated gang members and members on the |
| taken in 73 prison riots that occurred in | | | | outside. In some cases, one prisoner calls |
| prisons across Sao Paulo, Parana, Matto | | | | via cell a subordinate on the outside who |
| Grosso do Sul, Brasilia, and Bahia, according | | | | uses a two-way radio to transmit the message |
| to Brazilian daily Folha de Sao Paulo. Over | | | | to a third individual who then uses another |
| 80 public transport buses were burned and one | | | | cell phone to pass along the message to its |
| metro station was attacked, leaving over five | | | | recipient in another prison, reports O Globo. |
| million people without public transport. On | | | | Each node on the communications chain may use |
| 15 May, as millions of people fled home in | | | | any number of cell phones or two-way radios, |
| the early afternoon, Sao Paulo became a city | | | | making tracking the signals very |
| of gridlock spanning 203 kilometers of | | | | difficult.Attempts to block cell phone |
| roadways.Over the weekend, as the violence | | | | signals in Rio and Sao Paulo have been |
| raged on, Brazilian Justice Minister Marcio | | | | ineffective.In the middle of the Mother's Day |
| Thomas Bastos offered the service of 4,000 | | | | weekend riots, requests to shut down cell |
| soldiers, part of a National Force trained to | | | | phone towers used by criminals to relay |
| help contain the security problems in | | | | signals were presented to Brazil's |
| Brazilian states. But Sao Paulo Governor | | | | telecommunications regulatory body when Marco |
| Claudio Lembo, filling in for presidential | | | | Antonio Desgualdo, the head of the Sao Paulo |
| candidate Geraldo Alckmin, refused to accept | | | | state Civil Police, met with this body, |
| federal help. Bastos made the trip from | | | | called Anatel, on 15 May. The Folha de Sao |
| Brasilia to Sao Paulo to again offer federal | | | | Paulo reported that after the meeting |
| assistance during a close-door meeting on | | | | Desgualdo announced that authorities would |
| Monday, 15 May. But again it was refused.By | | | | not be able to shut down cell towers without |
| 16 May, as quickly as the violence had | | | | the acquiescence of telecommunications |
| started, it ended, and most prisons were back | | | | companies.These same companies - Vivo, Tim, |
| in the control of state authorities, and | | | | Telefonica, Embratel, and Nextel - complain |
| policemen were no longer the target of random | | | | that shutting down the towers would mean an |
| attacks. The Sao Paulo daily newspaper, O | | | | unacceptable disruption of service for their |
| Estado de Sao Paulo, reported on 16 May that | | | | law-abiding clients. Nothing short of a court |
| the state government had reached an agreement | | | | order would shut down the towers, a legal |
| with the PCC. Government officials continue | | | | instrument that takes too long to obtain.In |
| to deny that claim, but it is possible such | | | | some prison systems, cell phone signal |
| negotiations were a last-resort option for | | | | blockers are used, but they are quickly |
| state officials clearly caught off guard by a | | | | rendered obsolete by the rapid pace of |
| highly organized criminal network, one many | | | | technological advancement in cell phone |
| believed had been dismantled years ago. | | | | systems.The battle between Sao Paulo |
| Brazilian organized crime The PCC began to | | | | authorities and the cell phone companies to |
| take shape in 1993, when prisoners | | | | shut down towers in the event of security |
| incarcerated in Taubate state prison in Sao | | | | needs began in February 2001, when PCC |
| Paulo organized themselves to fight against | | | | members used cell phones to orchestrate |
| deplorable living conditions and more rights | | | | simultaneous riots in 29 prisons across Sao |
| within the prison system. Over the past 13 | | | | Paulo. Security officials failed to win the |
| years, this organization has grown into one | | | | battle then, too, but no one knew that such |
| of the country's most powerful prison | | | | decisions five years ago would eventually |
| criminal networks, controlling activity | | | | facilitate the most violent uprising of |
| within dozens of prisons in Sao Paulo and | | | | Brazilian organized crime in years. |
| around the country, as well as important | | | | Corruption and politics Even as blocking cell |
| sales points and transport routes for drugs | | | | signals and other methods to impede |
| and guns flowing into Brazil from source | | | | communication between criminals evolves into |
| countries such as Paraguay, Bolivia, | | | | what may become a viable solution, many |
| Colombia, and Suriname.The PCC became more | | | | believe that such time is wasted on treating |
| active outside prisons in 1999, when Rio's | | | | a problem that is not central to the real |
| top criminal organization - the Red Command | | | | reason why the PCC was able to orchestrate |
| (CV in Portuguese) - formed an alliance with | | | | such a widespread reign of disorder and |
| PCC members who lived in Heliopolis, a | | | | rebellion. Corruption and politics, two of |
| shantytown located in the southeastern zone | | | | the usual suspects behind systemic |
| of Sao Paulo, according to a Rio de Janeiro | | | | dysfunction in democracies, are at the center |
| Federal Police officer who asked to remain | | | | of Brazil's security problems.Bribes paid to |
| anonymous. Through this alliance, the CV | | | | security officials at all levels keep leaders |
| sought to shift some of its drug trafficking | | | | of the PCC and the CV well informed of |
| activities from Rio de Janeiro to Sao Paulo. | | | | official planning. When authorities planned |
| In Rio, CV leaders had been constantly | | | | to move over 700 of the PCC leaders to a more |
| harassed by police who exacted an extortion | | | | secure prison environment to avoid what they |
| tax for allowing favelas (shantytowns) to be | | | | learned was a planned Mother's Day rebellion, |
| used as drug sales centers and contraband | | | | the PCC reacted by launching its rebellion |
| transshipment points. Additionally, the PCC | | | | two days early, disrupting the prisoner |
| in 1999 was a large criminal organization | | | | transport and a host of other activities |
| with more manpower than economic activity. | | | | planned to prevent the rebellion.Low salaries |
| Its alliance with the CV increased earnings | | | | exacerbate corruption because policemen and |
| for the PCC in Sao Paulo, while opening a new | | | | some lower-ranking members of the military |
| pool of man power for the CV to defend its | | | | are more likely to sell weapons from poorly |
| turf from rival gangs in Rio de | | | | organized stock piles to make ends meet. Over |
| Janeiro.Together, the two gangs control the | | | | 70 per cent of the weapons used by Brazilian |
| drug trade in Brazil's two largest cities. | | | | organized crime were made in Brazil. Many of |
| They operate gun smuggling routes out of | | | | them are sold to Paraguay where they enter |
| Paraguay and purchase weapons from corrupt | | | | the black market before returning to Brazil. |
| policemen and military soldiers in Sao Paulo | | | | Yet a significant amount are sold to |
| and Rio. High-level members of these gangs, | | | | criminals directly from stockpiles of seized |
| especially the CV, continue to conduct a | | | | weapons.When budgets must be prepared, |
| weapons-for-cocaine barter with members of | | | | politics dictate who gets what slice of the |
| the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of | | | | pie. From 2004 to 2005, the Brazilian federal |
| Colombia (FARC) based in the Colombian | | | | government reduced resources for the |
| Amazon.As recently as 30 April, three | | | | country's Penitentiary Fund by 37 per cent. |
| Colombians opened fire on a Brazilian patrol | | | | This fund oversees the overall improvement |
| on the Rio Negro, a branch of the Amazon | | | | and maintenance of Brazil's prison system. |
| river that begins in an area of the Colombian | | | | Meanwhile, the government of Sao Paulo state |
| Amazon reportedly controlled by the FARC. | | | | diverted from public security spending some |
| Brazilian authorities claim that the rifles | | | | US$81.3 million in the last five years. It |
| were stamped with the Brazilian military coat | | | | was a decision in the reduction of security |
| of arms. The men were followed to the | | | | spending at the Sao Paulo state level that |
| Colombian city of San Felipe, where their | | | | was likely made after the 2001 prison riots |
| arms were confiscated. Brazilian Federal | | | | in that state.Commenting on the event, |
| Police investigators told ISN Security Watch | | | | Brazilian President Luiz Inacio |
| that they believe the arms were part of a | | | | "Lula" da Silva said it was a |
| cache of weapons to be traded for cocaine | | | | demonstration of the power of organized crime |
| that traffickers would transport to Sao Paulo | | | | in Brazil. His comments underline the fact |
| and Rio.Red Command leader Fernandinho | | | | that Brazilian organized crime is a force |
| Beira-Mar is considered to have been one of | | | | that has grown to threaten Brazilian cities |
| the first Brazilian criminals to trade | | | | as well as the nation. With links to |
| weapons for cocaine with the FARC. He was | | | | organized crime in Paraguay and Suriname, and |
| arrested by Colombian authorities in April | | | | a thriving barter system with Colombia's FARC |
| 2001 and immediately extradited to Brazil. | | | | soldiers, the PCC and CV may soon become |
| Yet the recent incident on the | | | | internationally known as a criminal network |
| Brazilian-Colombian border in the Amazon | | | | that has grown too big for Brazil's security |
| indicates that five years later, this | | | | system to handle.Sam Logan ( is an |
| criminal exchange program still continues to | | | | investigative journalist who has reported on |
| supply the CV and the PCC with pure, | | | | security, energy, politics, economics, |
| Colombian cocaine.Brazilian organized crime | | | | organized crime, terrorism, and black markets |
| is just as powerful within the prison system | | | | in Latin America since 1999. He is currently |
| as it is on the outside. And as the battle | | | | completing his work on Nice Guys Die First, a |
| continues to dismantle these criminal | | | | forthcoming non-fiction narrative about |
| networks, the occasional mega-rebellion | | | | organized crime in Brazil. |
| reminds Brazilian authorities and civilians | | | | |