U.S. views the Port of Santos as strategic for trafficking and advocates cooperation to curb the PCC’s expansion

Kevin Murakami spoke to a group of business leaders and authorities from the Port of Santos last night at the Grupo Tribuna auditorium (Sílvio Luiz/AT)

The United States intends to help combat international drug trafficking originating from the Port of Santos. The U.S. Consul General in São Paulo, Kevin Murakami, visited Grupo Tribuna this Thursday (5), where he met with business leaders and authorities from the Santos port complex. He said that the administration of President Donald Trump is concerned about the expansion of organized crime networks at Brazil’s largest port for shipping cocaine abroad.

“The port is a key hub for international trade, but it also represents a risk for organized groups that want to export and traffic drugs and weapons. And now they are also importing, bringing drugs into Brazil. Port security is a priority”, Murakami emphasized, noting that this was his first visit to Santos.

The consul stated that it is essential for the private sector to adopt effective measures against narcotraffickers who place drugs on ships. “Intelligence is also very important, as is the exchange of information between port authorities from different countries.”

Cocaine seizures have been increasing at the Port of Santos. Last year, Receita Federal intercepted more than 7 tons of the drug, which is mainly shipped to Europe rather than to the United States.

“Regardless of where the drugs go from the Port of Santos, the proceeds go to criminal groups. Therefore, it is important to fight this in order to suffocate criminal organizations”, Murakami noted.

The U.S. Consul General is considering the creation of a cooperation program to provide training for police officers and authorities working at the Port of Santos. “This cooperation with the United States is important, as we have greater capacity to identify risks and threats and to combat and defeat this type of crime”, he explained, noting that U.S. authorities maintain a constant flow of information about different methods used to traffic drugs through the Port of Santos.

He declined to comment on the possibility of financial investment by the United States to combat drug traffickers in Brazil. “I do not want to speculate about that kind of thing, but I can say that I agree with our national security strategy. Latin America is a priority, and Brazil can be an extremely important partner in strengthening public security and prosperity.”

Renata Santini Cypriano, Marcos Clemente Santini and Roberto Clemente Santini welcomed the consul at Grupo Tribuna (Sílvio Luiz/AT)

PCC expansion

Kevin Murakami explained that the United States monitors organized crime worldwide. “The PCC has already become a sophisticated criminal enterprise, with more than 40,000 members operating in 28 countries, including the United States, generating billions of dollars in revenue annually.”

According to him, it is widely known that the Port of Santos “has become the main strategic hub for the PCC’s export operations” in Brazil. “At the Port of Santos, the PCC operates as a logistics company to export cocaine”, he added.

The consul noted that he previously worked in Colombia and Mexico combating drug cartels. “The PCC infiltrates sectors of the economy and is even more dangerous than the cartels.”

Background

Kevin Murakami, a career diplomat holding the rank of minister-counselor, arrived in São Paulo in September of last year after serving as director of the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Section at the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia. In that role, he oversaw the implementation of US\$ 1 billion in U.S. security programs.

Previously, he served as economic counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. He also served as chief of Political-Economic Affairs and principal deputy at the U.S. Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro, where he helped develop and implement bilateral initiatives supporting the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the 2014 World Cup and the development of Brazil’s pre-salt hydrocarbon reserves.