THE TERRITORIAL EXPANSION OF CRIMINAL FACTIONS AND DISPUTES FOR CONTROL OF DRUG TRAFFICKING IN RIO GRANDE DO SUL

Abstract

Drug trafficking is structured with one of its pillars being the construction of multi-scale logistics chains, and, in this context, the state of Rio Grande do Sul stands out in the 21st century, given the growth of this activity through the action of organized groups. Faced with this, we have listed as the main goal of the research the analysis of the territorial expansion of factions associated with drug trafficking in Rio Grande do Sul, seeking to understand the strategies these groups utilize to insert themselves in areas that extrapolate their original formation. Regarding the method, in the first moment, we conducted a bibliographic review; then, we opted for the hemerographic methodological tool, which focuses on documentation research through survey and analysis of journalistic materials. As a result, we can understand that in the state, there is an expansion process of organized groups to municipalities that are beyond their reference areas, which represent not only an emerging consumer market but also connection points of control in the logistical process of narcotics distribution. Furthermore, we identified in the research three strategies used by factions to insert themselves in new municipalities: factionalization, negotiation, and direct conflict.