SUMMARY
Rondônia, a state in Northern Brazil, is marked by its rich biodiversity, economic reliance on agribusiness, and strategic position along the Bolivian border. Despite its economic potential, the region faces significant challenges, including escalating violence driven by organized crime. Porto Velho, the capital, has become a focal point for criminal conflicts, particularly in areas like the Orgulho do Madeira housing complex located east of the city, where rival factions compete for control of drug trafficking. Recent clashes between the Military Police and the Red Command (CV) criminal gang have resulted in fatalities, widespread arson, and public transportation disruptions. In response, the governor of the state has asked for federal intervention with the National Force deployed to restore order.
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Rondônia Contextualization
Rondônia, located in the northern region of Brazil, is a state marked by the rich biodiversity of the Amazon Rainforest, vast areas of fertile land and an economy strongly based on agribusiness. Its capital, Porto Velho, is an important administrative and logistical center, with emphasis on river transport and the production of electricity, especially through the Jirau and Santo Antônio hydropower plants. Despite its economic potential, the state faces challenges related to deforestation, agrarian conflicts, and public security issues, reflections of its rapid population and economic expansion in recent decades.
With an extensive border of approximately 1,300 km with Bolivia, the state of Rondônia serves as a point of entry of illicit drugs, mainly cocaine, becoming a key route for the international drug trade. Porto Velho, the capital, stands out as a crucial administrative and logistical center but has faced serious public security problems arising from the territorial dispute between criminal factions that aim to control these routes. In addition, Orgulho do Madeira, a popular housing complex with around 15,000 inhabitants, located east of the city, has become the scene of intense conflicts between gangs and security forces.
Crisis Overview
Residents of Porto Velho have been facing moments of great tension in recent days. Since 13 January, clashes between the Military Police (PM) and the Red Command (CV) have resulted in arrests, deaths, and significant material damage, including the burning of more than 20 buses in three days.
In recent months, the Military Police (PM) have carried out several operations against organized crime in the Orgulho do Madeira housing complex, a region dominated by the CV. In one of the police operations, carried out on 8 January, a leader of the criminal faction was killed. Two days later, a Military Police vehicle was attacked with gunfire during a chase near Orgulho do Madeira.
On Sunday (12/01), a Military Police officer who lived in Orgulho do Madeira was killed, he was off duty, accompanied by his wife. After the murder, the suspects tried to blow up a security totem installed in the housing complex. On Monday (13/01), after the repercussions of the officer’s death, hooded suspects tried to set fire to a bus on the Orgulho do Madeira line.
Shortly after, the Police began Operation “Aliança Pela Vida, Moradia Segura II”, to combat the criminal organization and occupy the housing complex. There were arrests and one person was killed during a confrontation. Soon after the police entered the housing complex, attacks targeting buses began. Initially on public transport in Porto Velho and Candeias do Jamari, a neighboring city located 25 km east. The companies responsible for transport in both cities announced the suspension of services for fear of attacks.
Between Tuesday night (14/01) and Wednesday morning (15/01), 26 buses were set on fire, most of them in Porto Velho, in different regions of the city. Also on Tuesday, following a request from the government of Rondônia, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP) authorized the deployment of the National Force to combat organized crime in Porto Velho.
On Wednesday night (15), 14 residents of the eastern zone of Porto Velho were shot, six died. Also, on Wednesday night, two suspects of being members of the CV were killed in a confrontation with police agents in the Rural Zone of Porto Velho.
Criminal Factions in Rondônia
In the northern region of Brazil, the gangs’ objective is to control drug trafficking flowing from the borders of Brazil, Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia. According to studies, six main criminal gangs are operating in the state of Rondônia, the transnational ones are Red Command (CV – from Rio de Janeiro), First Capital Command (PCC – from São Paulo) and Família do Norte (Northern Family/FDN – from Amazonas); while the local ones are Primeiro Comando do Panda (Panda’s First Command/PCP) –its name refers to the Panda Bear prison where it was established–, Crime Popular (Popular Crime/CP), and Amigos Leais (Loyal Friends/AL). Of these, at least four have more notable actions in the prison environment: CV, PCC, PCP and FDN.
With territorial disputes, the factions began to invade residential complexes of Porto Velho, such as “Orgulho do Madeira”, now occupied by the CV, and Conjunto Residencial “Morar Melhor” south of the city, which was invaded by PCP.
The criminal gangs prioritized the condominiums in the Minha Casa Minha Vida project, designed for low-income families, as prime targets for their actions and occupations. The invasions of these residential developments began because of the tower-style construction, which made it easier for gangs to take control. These groups forcibly evicted the legitimate residents, occupied the towers, and enclosed their areas with controlled access, effectively claiming them as their own.
These residential properties became the battleground for two factions, the Red Command and Panda’s First Command, leading to a surge in violent deaths, particularly in Porto Velho. According to the Public Security Yearbook, Rondônia recorded 525 homicides in 2022 and 457 in 2023, reflecting a homicide rate of 29.9 intentional violent deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023—well above the national average of 22.8. Notably, the inter-city region of Porto Velho ranked as the 31st most violent area in Brazil, with an MVI rate of 32.1 per 100,000 inhabitants.
Rondônia and the International Drug Traffic
Rondônia’s strategic location, with a long border of approximately 1,300 km with Bolivia, makes the state a crucial and vulnerable point in international drug trafficking. Bolivia, along with Colombia and Peru, is one of the largest producers of cocaine in the world, and Rondônia is used as a route for the entry and distribution of narcotics in Brazil and other countries. Infrastructure such as the BR-364 and BR-429 highways, in addition to river routes, facilitates the transport of drugs to large urban centers and ports destined for international trafficking.
Criminal organizations exploit the dense forest cover and insufficient border surveillance to operate clandestine routes. These activities are not limited to drug trafficking, but also include arms smuggling and money laundering, further aggravating the state’s crime scenario. The difficulty of accessing certain areas and the geographical dispersion challenge the authorities responsible for combating organized crime.
Rondônia’s strategic position has led to intense disputes between criminal factions, seeking the control of drug trafficking routes to consolidate their power. Groups such as First Capital Command (PCC), Red Command (CV) and local factions engage in violent conflicts to secure control over these operations, increasing crime rates and instability in border regions and in the interior.
Strengthening Security in Rondônia
Rondônia faces significant challenges in public security, largely due to its strategic location and the activities of criminal organizations. To mitigate risks and ensure stability, it is essential to implement coordinated and effective strategies that integrate efforts from the public and private sectors, as well as international cooperation. Without structural measures that address both immediate threats and long-term vulnerabilities, the security crisis is likely to escalate, undermining the region’s social and economic stability.
The experience of other regions of the Amazon shows that the absence of integrated strategies favors the consolidation of criminal groups, expanding their influence over strategic territories. If the authorities’ response continues to focus solely on repressive operations without long-term planning, the scenario could evolve into an even greater escalation of violence, with direct impacts on the local economy, population mobility, and the confidence of the productive sectors operating in the region. Rio de Janeiro’s experience with the use of the National Force without a clear strategy also serves as a warning for Rondônia. The presence of federal agents can temporarily contain criminal attacks, but without a plan to strengthen local security forces and the justice system, the problem is likely to resurface with even greater intensity. If there is no investment in intelligence, infrastructure and social inclusion projects that reduce the influence of organized crime, there is a risk that the crisis in Rondônia becomes chronic, making the state an even more relevant epicenter for drug trafficking and other illicit activities on the Amazon border.
