Jungle Brigade seizes more than 2.5 tons of narcotics this year aloneJungle Brigade seizes more than 2.5 tons of narcotics this year alone

Vila Bittencourt (AM) – The 3rd Special Border Platoon (3rd PEF), based in Vila Bittencourt, Japurá (AM), seized more than 2.5 tons of skunk in 2022 alone. The drug uses the same active ingredient as marijuana (THC: Tetrahydro-Cannabinol) and has greater narcotic power. The first seizure, made in April, occurred on a trail through the jungle, found by a combat group patrolling the area.

The others, made in the last three weeks, took place in rivers and streams, where the proactive action of the river patrols and the correct approach of the checkpoints and river interdiction were crucial for the success of the actions. The latest seizure, made on October 8, in the context of Operation Shield, was of approximately 1,300 kg of skunk. The mission on the border strip carried out by the platoon is part of the duties of the 16th Jungle Infantry Brigade (16th Bda Inf Sl). The arrested personnel and the seized material were forwarded to the Federal Police.

Due to the intense movement of narcotics in the area of the 3rd PEF, the brigade, in coordination with the Amazon Military Command, reinforced the actions in the region with a platoon of marines from the 17th Jungle Infantry Battalion, the brigade’s rapid response troop to unexpected demands that arise in its area of responsibility. In less than 6 hours, with the arrival of the HM-2 Black Hawk aircraft, from the Army’s 4th Aviation Battalion, the reinforcement fraction embarked to the 3rd PEF, in Vila Bittencourt. The action also had the support of a C-105 Amazonas aircraft, from the Brazilian Air Force.

The 16th Jungle Infantry Brigade has the legality for actions in the border strip, fulfilling the constitutional mission of the Brazilian Army in that region. It is up to the brigade to routinely employ its special border platoons in reconnaissance, surveillance, and monitoring activities in the border strip under its responsibility. The constant mobility of troops in the region marks the sovereign presence of Brazil in its borders, guaranteeing the inviolability and integrity of the territory. The actions against trans-border and environmental crimes, on the other hand, actively cooperate with the preservation of the Amazon’s biocultural heritage, besides positively impacting public security in large urban centers, a direct result of the fight against drug trafficking.

The Solimões Frontier Command/8th Jungle Infantry Battalion (CFSol/8th BIS) is the brigade’s operational unit that comprises four special border platoons. Headquartered in the city of Tabatinga (AM), the battalion inherited the mission of the colonial period military installation: the demarcation of Brazil’s northwestern border and the defense of the territory. The CFSol/8th BIS deployed its special border platoons in the following locations: Palmeiras do Javari, Ipiranga, Vila Bittencourt, and Estirão do Equador. The soldiers who serve there exercise the function of “sentinels of the homeland”, with coercive and dissuasive conduct.

*** Translated by the DEFCONPress FYI Team ***

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