Defense Minister Denies Armored Vehicles for Actions in Drug Trafficking Areas

Rio de Janeiro Governor Cláudio Castro (PL) requested Defense Minister José Múcio Monteiro for the allocation of Navy armored vehicles for operations in areas controlled by the Red Command and other criminal factions, but the requests were denied. On Tuesday (28), security forces carried out an operation against the Red Command in Rio de Janeiro. A total of over 2,500 men were mobilized and at least 64 people have already died in the conflict. A document obtained by the column shows Castro’s request to the minister, dated January 28. In the document, Castro asked for the weapons to be made available with their respective operators for the confrontation with the criminal faction. During a press conference, Governor Cláudio Castro (PL) mentioned that he did not seek support from the federal government for today’s operation, as three previous requests for the use of armored vehicles had been denied. ‘We had three requests denied. To lend the armored vehicle, a Guarantee of Law and Order (GLO) was required, and the president (Lula) is against the GLO. Every day there is a reason not to cooperate,’ Castro said at the press conference. According to allies of the governor, Múcio only told Castro to approach the Navy commander in the region. It was up to the officer to deny the request, arguing that a Guarantee of Law and Order (GLO) operation would be necessary for the use of troops, something the federal government did not agree with. The desired armored vehicle, according to the document obtained, was the Amphibious Tracked Vehicle (CLAnf). According to the Navy, these vehicles are used ‘to perform the Movement Ship to Shore (MNT), increase mobility, provide armored protection, and enhance the firepower of the embarked troops through the use of the vehicles’ organic weapons’. Stay tuned for more information.