The advance of the Capital First Command (CCP) outside Brazil has become a growing challenge for security authorities on different continents. The criminal faction, considered the largest in the country, has been expanding its performance beyond national borders and establishing direct connections with international cartels and mafias. The phenomenon warns countries of the Americas, Africa, and especially Europe, where the impacts of drug trafficking have generated concern.
The seizures made in European ports and airports reveal the size of the problem. Tons of cocaine have been intercepted annually on ship loads, while smaller quantities appear on commercial flights carried by “mules” of trafficking. Most of the drug originates in producing countries in South America and passes through Brazil before being boarded in the port of Santos, considered the main exit point controlled by the CCP.
Investigations have already identified the performance of the criminal faction in at least 28 countries. The main focus of articulation is in the region of the triple border, between Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. However, the connections go beyond, reaching the United States, Mexico, Japan and various European nations. In Portugal, the presence of the organization is considered more significant. In all, 87 CCP members have already been identified in abroad operations, of which 29 are arrested. In Italy, the faction even signed partnerships with local mafias to enhance drug trafficking.
European authorities classify the flow of cocaine from Brazil as a tsunami that threatens public safety and the health of the population. The illicit business is highly profitable: while a kilo of the drug can be purchased for about $ 2,000 in Bolivia, the same product is sold for up to $ 35,000 on European soil. In addition to direct cocaine movement, the CCP also operates abroad with money laundering operations, which expands the criminal network and makes financial screening difficult.
Given this scenario, the European Union has been reinforcing international cooperation in combating organized crime. Europol and safety agencies from neighboring countries intensified joint operations to monitor routes and dismantle trafficking networks. The challenge, according to authorities, is to contain the growing expansion of the CCP and reduce the impacts of drug trafficking on the continent.
