Brazil to militarize key airports, ports and borders in a crackdown on organized crime

By DIANE JEANTET
Associated Press

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva says armed forces will boost security at some of the country’s most important airports, ports and along its international borders to tackle organized crime. The decision comes days after members of a criminal gang set fire to dozens of buses in Rio de Janeiro, apparently in retaliation for the police killing their leader’s nephew. The deployment is part of a broader plan that includes increasing the number of federal police forces in Rio, improving cooperation between law enforcement entities and boosting investment in technology for intelligence gathering.