SEGURANÇA PÚBLICA NA FRONTEIRA: UMA ANÁLISE DOS CRIMES TRANSNACIONAIS NAS CIDADES GÊMEAS DE MATO GROSSO DO SUL

Abstract

This dissertation analyzes the performance of public security forces in addressing transnational crimes in the border territories of Mato Grosso do Sul, focusing on the municipalities of Ponta Porã, Corumbá, and Mundo Novo between the years 2020 and 2024. Based on the concept of public security as a duty of the State and a right of all, guaranteed through the promotion of order, social peace, and violence prevention, the study emphasizes the need for an integrated and specialized approach to border protection. The research uses qualitative and quantitative methods to interpret data on drug trafficking, arms smuggling, vehicle theft, and other criminal offenses affecting these border regions. Supported by theoretical frameworks from police sciences, critical geography, and criminology, the investigation reveals that, despite policies such as the PEF, ENAFRON, and SISFRON, there are still operational and structural challenges in controlling the criminal networks operating across borders. The study also highlights the strategic role of the Department of Border Operations (DOF), whose daily efforts demonstrate the complexity of combating transnational crime within law enforcement routines. It concludes that strengthening state presence and articulation among federal, state, and municipal actors is essential, along with investments in intelligence, technology, training, and territorialized public policies. The border must be understood as a space of dispute, where legality must be sustained through coordinated, permanent, and effective actions.