Impactos socioambientais da apreensão de agrotóxicos ilegais na região norte e noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul: implicações no ecossistema e na segurança alimentar

Abstract

This study analyzes the smuggling and circulation of illegal pesticides in the Northern and Northwestern regions of Rio Grande do Sul, with emphasis on the routes used, methods of transportation, profile of those involved, seizure patterns, and legal-environmental, economic, and food security-related impacts. The research adopts a mixed-methods approach, with bibliographic, documentary, and case law analysis, based on official data provided by the Federal Highway Police, the Federal Police, the Federal Revenue Service of Brazil, and the Federal Justice System. The time frame covers records from 2020 to 2025, including the Federal Highway Police units of Sarandi and Ijuí, the Federal Police Offices in Santo Ângelo and Passo Fundo, and units of the Federal Revenue Service. The results indicate a concentration of occurrences in municipalities located near the international border and the Uruguay River, with the use of river routes, rural roads, passenger vehicles, pickup trucks, rural properties, and logistical support points. A predominance of paraquat-based products was observed, especially Paraquat Sigma, whose clandestine circulation remained relevant even after Brazilian regulatory restrictions. In Federal Police records, 79 procedures were identified between 2020 and 2025, totaling 40,122 liters and 245 kilograms of seized pesticides, with greater significance between 2022 and 2024. The Federal Revenue Service recorded BRL 16,659,384.69 in seizures between 2022 and 2024, with predominance of the Santo Ângelo unit. The legal analysis demonstrates the predominance of legal classifications under Article 56 of Law No. 9,605, of February 12, 1998, and, subsequently, under Article 56 of Law No. 14,785, of December 27, 2023, in addition to the application of Article 334-A of Decree-Law No. 2,848, of December 7, 1940, the Brazilian Penal Code, when elements of transnationality are proven. It is concluded that addressing this phenomenon requires institutional integration, police intelligence, environmental enforcement, data standardization, and educational measures aimed at agroecological transition and the safe use of agricultural inputs, in order to reduce recidivism and strengthen the sustainability of border agroecosystems.