Groups of agents will remain in Rio until March 31st “in support of federal and state public security bodies to perform essential services for the preservation of public order,” according to the Official Gazette.

On January 19th, Minister Flávio Dino anticipated this extension of the operation, which was launched on October 16th, and announced that the agents of the National Force would remain in Rio until February, however their stay was extended again.

Given the complex scenario in the state, the governor of Rio, Cláudio Castro, asked for federal help to maintain cooperation between federal and state forces, especially to patrol higher-risk areas.

Federal assistance also includes strengthening security in Guanabara Bay, ports, airports and federal highways to combat the entry of weapons and drugs into the state.

According to Castro, the action of these criminal organizations is no longer just a problem for Rio, but for Brazil. “There are not any specific criminal organizations that are here or there. No, they are true mafias dispersed throughout Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Ceará, Bahia, Rio Grande do Norte, the governor acknowledged in October, when the federal government announced the reinforcement of troops, after militia groups set fire to 35 buses and a train.

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