The Brazilian government signed a decree, this Wednesday (10), in order to expand police cooperation to border and cross-border areas with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, including pursuit of fugitives and joint investigations. The decree is the result of an agreement signed in Bento Gonçalves (RS), in December 2019. The document stipulates that countries can act together to prevent and investigate crimes in accordance with their respective legislation. Siege of fugitives Related news: Sovereign Amazon: program will combat crimes in border areas. In the case of persecution, the decree authorizes police officers from a given country to search for fugitives who cross the borders in those countries. “[Police officers] may enter the territory of the other Party, in communication and coordination with the police authority of the other, to carry out the preventive apprehension of persecuted persons,” the document says. It was defined that these pursuits must be combined bilaterally or trilaterally. For this purpose, exchange of methodologies and technologies, training with courses and training and exchange of information to prevent illicit activities are planned. When these fugitives are arrested, law enforcement authorities will hand these people over to authorities in the country where the fugitives were found. “Agents and vehicles of the pursuing State must be duly identified.” Furthermore, the countries decided to improve communications systems and exchange knowledge of interest for investigating crimes using operations centers.