Country Reports on Terrorism 2012

The work of the U.S.-Brazil Container Security Initiative (CSI) in Santos continued throughout
2012, as it has since its inception in 2005. The CSI was created to promote secure containerized
cargo to the United States by co-locating CBP personnel overseas to work with a foreign
customs administration to detect high risk cargo.
The Brazilian government continued to invest in border and law enforcement infrastructure and
has worked to undertake new initiatives to control the flow of goods – legal and illegal – through
the TBA of Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay.
In light of Brazil’s plans to host the upcoming 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games, a
key focus for the Department of State’s 2012 Antiterrorism Assistance program in Brazil was
major event security management. Additional strategic objectives for the program were to help
Brazil build law enforcement capacity to secure land, air, and maritime borders, and to conduct
terrorism-related investigations.
Countering Terrorist Finance: Brazil is a member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
and is also a member of the Grupo de Acción Financiera de Sudamérica (FSRB), a FATF-style
regional body. Brazil gives FATF recommendations high priority and has created a working
group chaired by the Ministry of Justice to incorporate these recommendations into legislation
and regulation. Brazil sought to play an active leadership role in the FSRB and has offered
technical assistance to Argentina to implement FATF recommendations.
Brazil monitored domestic financial operations and effectively used its Financial Intelligence
Unit, the COAF, to identify possible funding sources for terrorist groups. Terrorist financing is
not an autonomous offense in Brazil, but it is a predicate offense to money laundering. COAF
does not have the authority to unilaterally freeze assets without a court order. The FATF has
recommended that COAF create a standard operating procedure for freezing funds, which COAF
has prioritized but not yet completed.
Through COAF, which is a largely independent entity within the Finance Ministry (Fazenda),
Brazil has carried out name checks for persons and entities on the UNSC 1267/1989 and 1988
Sanctions Committees’ consolidated lists, but it has so far not reported any assets, accounts, or
property in the names of persons or entities on the UN lists. The Brazilian government has
generally responded to U.S. efforts to identify and block terrorist-related funds. For further
information on money laundering and financial crimes, we refer you to the 2013 International
Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR), Volume 2, Money Laundering and Financial
Crimes: http://www.state.gov/j/inl/rls/nrcrpt/index.htm.
Regional and International Cooperation: Brazil’s intelligence and law enforcement forces
work with regional and international partners. Brazil participates in regional counterterrorism
fora such as the OAS Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism. Brazil is involved in the
Union of South American Nations and Mercosur’s working group on terrorism and the subworking
group on financial issues, the latter of which discusses terrorist financing and money
laundering among the Mercosur countries.
CANADA
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