Brazil’s government on Wednesday ordered the deployment of soldiers at several airports and seaports across the country to strengthen the fight against criminal militias and drug smuggling.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva otherwise called Lula signed a decree which “launched an integrated operation to combat organised crime,” he announced this on X, formerly Twitter.

The federal police will be reinforced by the military at several airports and ports in the sprawling eastern cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, according to the decree.

A total of 3,700 soldiers, air force and navy personnel are to be deployed.

“The situation has reached a very serious point, the violence we are experiencing has worsened with each passing day,” Lula said.

Last week, at least 35 buses were torched in western Rio after a prominent member of the city’s largest militia was killed by police.

Police say the man killed was the nephew of militia chief Luis Antônio da Silva Braga, known as Zinho.

Local media report that police assume the buses were burned in an act of revenge, and the local governor vowed to hunt down three crime syndicate heads over what he called an act of terrorism.

While this is not the first time buses have been burnt in Rio, the city’s bus operators’ union said that never before have many been set on fire in one day in the city.

The military mobilisation is to last until May next year and could be expanded if necessary.

Many former, and even active, police officers are members of the militias and involved in drug trafficking and protection rackets.

{NAN)