On 15 March 2025, in the rural area of Luis Gomes municipality (Rio Grande do Norte), military police officers exchanged fire with four suspected drug traffickers. The officers conducted an operation after receiving reports about the presence of the suspects in the region, who were painting a gang member on the walls and threatening residents. The officers spotted the suspects, who were in a vehicle and fired against them. An armed clash took place and all four suspects were shot and killed. Police seized firearms, ammunition and drugs. 4 fatalities.

Supply-chain Risk Briefing

1) Summary On March 15, 2025, armed clashes occurred between drug organizations and military police in the Luís Gomes area of Rio Grande do Norte state, Brazil, resulting in 4 suspects killed. This represents a high-risk security incident indicating increased organized crime activity in Brazil's northeastern rural regions.

2) Supply-chain impact

• Agricultural logistics network instability: Rio Grande do Norte state is a major Brazilian agricultural region, and deteriorating rural security conditions may cause disruptions to agricultural product transportation and harvesting operations
• Increased overland transport route risks: Expansion of organized crime activities raises concerns about reduced safety of inland transport routes in northeastern Brazil, with particular increases in nighttime transport risks
• Regional labor sourcing difficulties: Security instability may restrict movement of workers to agricultural and manufacturing sites, potentially reducing productivity
• Rising logistics costs: Increased transportation costs due to enhanced security measures and delivery delays from using alternative routes

3) Watch points

• Whether additional organized crime-related incidents occur in northeastern Brazil and trends in expanded security operations
• Logistics disruption reports within agricultural production areas of Rio Grande do Norte state and current status of transport companies adopting alternative routes