Brazil to militarize key airports, ports and international borders in 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 as part of a renewed effort 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 slaying 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 state-of-the-art technology for intelligence gathering.