Government strengthens security and halts trafficking on the rivers of Pará with floating bases
The state has two operational bases in Óbidos and Breves, and another will be delivered in Abaetetuba later this semester
With over 1.7 tons of drugs seized between January 1 and May 23, 2025, the state of Pará consolidates the Integrated Floating Bases of Public Security as an effective strategy in combating drug trafficking in the Amazon. Additionally, the actions resulted in the seizure of 850 kg of shredded paper impregnated with cocaine (undergoing forensic analysis), 770 kg of illegal fish, 470 m³ of illegally extracted wood, 13 arrests in the act, 11 judicial warrants executed, 6 firearms, 5 cell phones, 5 recovered vehicles, and 2 seized vessels.
The bases also conducted 781 inspections of vessels and 37,426 inspections of individuals during operations along the rivers of Pará. The highlights of productivity come from the floating bases “Antônio Lemos” in Breves and “Candiru” in the Estreito de Óbidos, which have been ensuring almost daily results in intercepting illegal activities. Governor Helder Barbalho praised the work of the teams during a press conference held last Thursday (22).
"I would like to celebrate and congratulate the servers and collaborators of the floating bases who have played an absolutely important role in drug seizures. Whether it is the ‘Candiru’ base in the Estreito de Óbidos or the ‘Antônio Lemos’ base in Breves, both have brought effective results, almost daily, in the seizure of narcotics," the governor pointed out.
The floating bases were positioned based on intelligence analyses, prioritizing trafficking routes, areas with a higher incidence of crimes, and locations that are difficult to access. This strategic distribution has contributed to dismantling criminal operations, especially drug trafficking that uses the river network as a route.
"Almost daily, the bases have been conducting inspections of vessels, which assertively demonstrates the strategy to combat national and international trafficking that uses the rivers of the Amazon as a route for the flow and to supply both internally and internationally the trafficking in our country and internationally," clarified the governor.
During the press conference, the head of the state executive also announced the construction of a third floating base, which will be installed in the municipality of Abaetetuba, near Vila do Conde, a strategic point on the international trafficking route.
“We are advancing with a third base, this time in Abaetetuba, already near Vila do Conde, which has become an important point for drug transportation. With this, we add the base in the Estreito de Óbidos, on the Amazon River; the base in Breves, on the route between Santarém, Macapá, and Belém; and now the new base in Baixo Tocantins,” he added.
Strategy to combat trafficking
The bases function as advanced posts for river inspections, conducting inspections of vessels and thorough inspections. They are equipped with drones, sonar, fast boats, and have the support of sniffer dogs, essential for identifying drugs hidden in hard-to-reach places.
“Based on intelligence assessments and all the monitoring carried out by the public security system regarding areas used for criminal activities, we installed Floating Bases at strategic points in the rivers of Pará, and from them, we operate daily with integrated actions between security forces and regulatory agencies to curb all types of crime that may occur in these regions, especially drug trafficking that also uses the rivers as routes for the flow of narcotics coming from other states, whether to supply the illegal trade in Pará or as a passage to other states and even countries,” pointed out the Secretary of Public Security and Social Defense, Ualame Machado.
New floating base in Baixo Tocantins
The construction of the third Integrated Floating Base of Public Security, named Baixo Tocantins, is 69% complete. The base is being built at a shipyard in the Icoaraci district of Belém and will be installed at Furo do Capim, a rural area of Abaetetuba. The project is executed by the State Secretariat of Public Security and Social Defense (Segup) and represents an investment of approximately R$ 10 million.
The expectation is that, with the new base coming into operation, the State will further tighten the grip on drug trafficking along the river routes, especially in the Baixo Tocantins region, a strategic point for intercepting illegal cargo before it reaches major urban centers or export ports.
