Brazil has launched a major national campaign to weaken organised crime networks across the country under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s government. The new initiative, called the “Brazil Against Organised Crime Program,” was announced on Tuesday, May 12. It focuses on attacking the financial systems, prison operations, logistics, and territorial control of criminal groups instead of only targeting armed gang members.

The Brazilian government said the strategy is designed to dismantle the structure that allows organised crime groups to operate and expand. Authorities plan to target their leadership, money flow, weapons supply, and coordination systems through a large-scale federal and state effort supported by technology and intelligence sharing.

The program includes total investments and financing worth R$11 billion. Out of this amount, R$1.06 billion will come directly from the federal budget for 2026. Another R$10 billion will be made available through a special credit line for states, municipalities, and the Federal District to support local security actions and infrastructure improvements.

One of the central areas of the plan is financial disruption. The government has allocated R$388.9 million to fight money laundering and illegal financial operations linked to criminal organisations. Officials believe that weakening the economic strength of these groups is essential to reducing their influence and operational capacity.

As part of this effort, Brazil will create a national Integrated Task Force to Combat Organised Crime. Existing task forces at the state level will also be strengthened to improve coordination during interstate operations. Authorities aim to improve cooperation between agencies so investigations and enforcement actions can move faster and more effectively across regions.

The Ministry of Justice will also expand mechanisms to recover assets linked to criminal activity. This includes speeding up the seizure and auctioning of assets owned by criminal groups. Officials believe cutting off access to illegal wealth can directly weaken organised crime networks and reduce their ability to finance operations.

Another major part of the program focuses on prison security. The government has allocated R$330.6 million to upgrade security systems in 138 strategic prison facilities across Brazil. Authorities want to stop criminal organisations from managing operations from inside prisons, which has remained a major challenge for law enforcement agencies.

The prison security upgrades will include installation of drones, scanners, X-ray machines, body scanners, metal detectors, surveillance systems, and communication blockers. These technologies are expected to help prevent the entry of illegal items into prisons and stop gang leaders from coordinating criminal activities from behind bars.

The program also aims to improve homicide investigations and forensic capabilities. The government has set aside R$201 million to strengthen forensic infrastructure and increase homicide clearance rates. Officials said better forensic systems will help police solve violent crimes more efficiently and support stronger criminal prosecutions.

The investment will be used to expand DNA databases and ballistic analysis systems across the country. Authorities also plan to modernise medical-legal facilities with advanced forensic equipment and better transport systems for investigations. The government hopes these improvements will help investigators collect and process evidence more effectively.

The fourth pillar of the strategy targets illegal weapons trafficking. Around R$145.2 million has been allocated to fight the flow of illegal weapons, ammunition, accessories, and explosives used by organised crime groups. Authorities said reducing access to weapons is critical to weakening criminal operations and limiting violence.

Under this plan, the government will establish a national network to track weapons trafficking routes and improve weapon traceability systems. Police agencies across Brazil are also expected to strengthen coordination to intercept illegal shipments and identify criminal supply chains more quickly.

Officials said the initiative is intended to attack organised crime at every level, from street-level activities to high-level financial operations. The government believes coordinated action between federal and state authorities, combined with intelligence integration and modern technology, will help reduce the influence of criminal factions across Brazil.