Trending Now - Brazil and US Join Forces to Combat Drug and Arms Trafficking

WHO:

Al Jazeera - Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced the new security partnership.

Al Jazeera - Brazil’s Finance Minister Dario Durigan hailed the collaboration.

Al Jazeera - US President Donald Trump is involved in the initiative.

Al Jazeera - Brazilian Revenue Service and US Customs are key organizations in the partnership.

WHAT:

Al Jazeera - Brazil and the United States established a security partnership to combat drug and arms trafficking.

Al Jazeera - Brazil seized 1,168 illicit arms imported from the US in 2025.

Al Jazeera - The operation is called the DESARMA programme.

Al Jazeera - The US has conducted at least 47 lethal strikes on maritime vessels since September 2, 2025.

Al Jazeera - At least 147 people have died in these strikes.

WHERE:

Al Jazeera - The illicit arms were mainly sent from the US state of Florida.

Al Jazeera - The joint military and law enforcement raid occurred in Venezuela.

WHEN:

Al Jazeera - The partnership was announced on Friday, April 8th, 2026.

Al Jazeera - The joint military and law enforcement raid in Venezuela occurred on January 3rd, 2026.

Al Jazeera - The Brazilian government seized 1,168 illicit arms in the last 12 months, indicating the period from April 2025 to April 2026.

Al Jazeera - Trump has been in office since January 2025.

WHY:

Al Jazeera - The partnership aims to combat criminal networks and the illicit traffic of drugs and weapons.

Al Jazeera - Trump has been on a campaign to crack down on criminal networks throughout the Western Hemisphere.

Al Jazeera - Lula’s government seeks to limit the illicit flow of US weapons across its borders.

HOW:

Al Jazeera - The partnership will include real-time data sharing, rigorous cargo tracking, and joint operations to intercept illicit shipments.

Al Jazeera - The Trump administration has labeled multiple Latin American gangs and cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations” to justify military actions.

(UPDATED April 11, 2026 03:50 UTC)

Brazil has established a new security partnership with the United States to combat drug and arms trafficking, announced by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Wednesday, with support from US President Trump. The initiative, which includes key organizations like the Brazilian Revenue Service and US Customs, aims to enhance cooperation through real-time data sharing and joint operations, following Brazil's seizure of 1,168 illicit arms imported from the US in the past year. This collaboration is part of a broader effort by Trump to crack down on criminal networks throughout the Western Hemisphere, particularly targeting the flow of illegal weapons from Florida into Brazil.