(MENAFN- The Rio Times) In the shadow of intensifying U.S. naval strikes against Caribbean drug traffickers-10 operations since early 2025 that have killed 43 people-Brazil faces a looming peril: cartels rerouting narcotics through its vast Atlantic coastline.

Colombian, Venezuelan, and Ecuadorian syndicates, squeezed by American patrols including the carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and amphibious forces, may pivot southward, exploiting overland paths via Roraima and the Amazon basin to feed markets in Europe and Asia.

This shift not only evades U.S. surveillance but ties into broader networks, with one-third of Europe- and Middle East-bound drugs transiting Africa's Sahel, often escorted by terrorist groups.

The story behind this escalation reveals Brazil 's vulnerable geo-strategic position: a 7,000-kilometer shoreline guarding immense natural resources, now at risk from spillover violence and infiltration.

Long warned by experts like Army Major Frederico Salóes, these routes amplify corruption, crime, and instability in remote regions, where Brazil already intercepts record hauls, such as over six tons in recent naval seizures.



Responding decisively, Brazil's Navy is revamping its 17,273-strong Marine Corps, a volunteer elite force, through a 2019-initiated reform concluding by 2026.

Drawing insights from U.S., French, British, and other marines, it reorganizes into amphibious, riverine, littoral, and nuclear-biological-chemical-radiological divisions.
Brazil Boosts Coastal Defense Amid Regional Tensions
Key upgrades include five expeditionary littoral battalions in ports like Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, armed with the homegrown Mansup anti-ship missile-launched from mobile Astros systems, with a 200-kilometer extended range version due in 2026.

New high-speed landing vessels, tested in October 2025, carry troops for patrols and rescues at over 40 knots. Anti-tank MAX 1.2 missiles, drones, and the acquired HMS Bulwark bolster rapid response, backed by R$30 billion in defense funding over six years.

This transformation highlights Brazil's push for self-reliance amid regional tensions, safeguarding sovereignty while exposing the interconnected perils of global drug wars.

For outsiders, it underscores how U.S. policies ripple across hemispheres, urging vigilance on South America's fragile frontiers.

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