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Brazil and the United States have reached a new agreement to strengthen cooperation in tackling arms and drug trafficking through enhanced intelligence sharing.
The deal will enable customs authorities in both countries to exchange data aimed at identifying suspicious shipments of weapons and narcotics moving from the United States to Brazil.
Brazil’s Finance Minister, Dario Durigan, described the agreement as an important step toward deepening collaboration against criminal networks, noting that it builds on earlier engagements between Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and US President Donald Trump.
Officials said Brazilian authorities have intercepted significant quantities of illicit items in recent months, including weapons traced to the United States and large volumes of synthetic drugs and hashish.
The agreement comes as ongoing discussions in Washington heightens over whether to classify major Brazilian criminal groups such as Comando Vermelho and Primeiro Comando da Capital as terrorist organisations.
Brazil’s Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira, has opposed such a move, maintaining that the groups should be treated strictly as criminal entities rather than terrorist organisations.
Durigan said the issue was not part of the latest talks, while Brazilian officials emphasised that the new cooperation framework would respect the sovereignty of both nations.
In March, Trump and allies in Latin America launched a joint initiative named “Shield of the Americas,” focused on combating organized crime, illegal immigration and foreign interference on the continent.
Despite improved diplomatic engagement between both countries, relations remain cautious, even after earlier efforts to ease tensions and reduce trade barriers.
