01/08/2025 – On Friday (01/08), BP Choque officers arrested Igor Gomes Matheus, known as Rugal, identified by police as one of the top leaders of the Third Pure Command (TCP) and a key figure in controlling drug sales in the Morro da Serrinha, Madureira, North Zone. He is suspected of orchestrating armed takeovers of rival territories. Rugal was found in a speeding taxi on Rua João Ribeiro, Tomás Coelho, along with his father, partner, and daughter.
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02/08/2025 – On Saturday morning (02/08), a shootout in the vicinity of Morro do Fubá, in Cascadura, North Zone, frightened residents. The area has been the scene of ongoing clashes between rival drug factions, Red Command (CV) and Third Pure Command (TCP), with tensions escalating since the death of a CV member in June. Gunfights have been reported throughout the week, including an incident on Monday (28/07) when a man was shot at a local snack bar.
03/08/2025 – On early Sunday (03/08), two women were arrested in Benfica, North Zone, while traveling in a clandestine bus. They were caught with around 48 kg of marijuana and 14 9mm magazines intended for delivery in Guarabira, Paraíba. Acting on intelligence, officers from the 25th DP located two tagged suitcases containing drugs and accessories. Both suspects admitted ownership and were charged with interstate drug trafficking; Dayane also faces charges for illegal possession of restricted firearm accessories.
03/08/2025 – On Sunday (03/08), two women linked to the Red Command (CV) drug faction in Mato Grosso were arrested in a shopping mall in Jacarepaguá, West Zone. Both had outstanding warrants for criminal organization and drug trafficking. One of them, considered extremely violent, had led the faction in Sorriso since 2022 and was also wanted for homicides. The other is the ex-wife of a top trafficker in the state; her mother had been arrested last year, and her sister remains a fugitive. The women had reportedly been hiding in Rio’s Maré complex.
04/08/2025 – Álvaro Borges Ribeiro, a 70-year-old businessman, was stabbed to death on Monday morning (04/08) inside a commercial building on Rua da Quitanda, in downtown Rio. A security camera recorded the main suspect entering and leaving the premises, wearing a shirt wrapped around his head and a mask. Witnesses said the attacker, believed to be a homeless man, followed the victim into the building. Nothing was reportedly stolen. The case is being investigated by the city’s Homicide Division.
05/08/2025 – On Tuesday (05/08), the Federal Police launched Operation Anabolic Express 2 against a group based in Ilha do Governador, North Zone, accused of importing, falsifying, and illegally selling anabolic steroids and psychotropic substances online, with nationwide deliveries via postal service. Two preventive arrest warrants, seven search warrants, and the freezing of assets and bank accounts up to R$30 million were issued. A previous seizure revealed the absence of active ingredients in several products, confirming their falsification.
05/08/2025 – On Tuesday (05/08), the Civil Police launched Operation Rede Obscura to dismantle illegal internet services controlled by CV and TCP factions in the North Zone of Rio and Baixada Fluminense. Seventeen search warrants were executed, resulting in the seizure of weapons, cash, and equipment, and two arrests. Investigations revealed two illegal ISPs—Flaquinete in Quitungo (CV) and RDO Telecom in Cordovil (TCP)—operating with armed support and sabotaging licensed providers. One suspect admitted to paying traffickers and receiving expansion offers.
05/08/2025 – On Tuesday (05/08), suspects fleeing a police raid in Morro do Urubu, in Pilares, North Zone, invaded a municipal daycare. A shootout followed, leaving two suspects dead, two injured under custody, and three arrested. Police seized rifles, a pistol, a grenade, and drugs. The 3rd BPM operation targeted Red Command members linked to turf wars in Campinho and Fubá. The suspects hid in the Vila dos Mineiros daycare; police waited for evacuation before engaging. The suspects opened fire, and the school suspended activities the next day.
05/08/2025 – On Tuesday (05/08), a man was robbed at gunpoint inside an official Flamengo store on Visconde de Pirajá Street in Ipanema, South Zone. The thief, armed with a handgun, demanded a gold necklace. The incident was recorded by security cameras. The assailant fled on a motorcycle driven by an accomplice waiting outside.
06/08/2025 – On Wednesday morning (06/08), a truck carrying meat was looted in Morro da Pedreira, in Pavuna, North Zone. Despite the deployment of a Military Police armored vehicle, officers were unable to stop the crowd, which consisted of dozens of people seen leaving the scene with packages of meat. Aerial footage showed residents swarming around the armored car and a nearby building where the stolen cargo was being taken. Pepper spray was used in an attempt to control the situation, but the products were still removed. No injuries or arrests were reported. According to the Military Police Secretary, the police initially tried to act in a professional and restrained manner, but the situation escalated beyond control.
06/08/2025 – On Wednesday (06/08), military police arrested the man suspected of fatally stabbing 70-year-old businessman Álvaro Borges Ribeiro in a commercial building on Rua da Quitanda, in downtown Rio. The suspect, identified as a homeless man known in the area, allegedly followed the victim and attacked him after the latter refused to give him money. A surveillance camera captured the suspect entering and exiting the building with his face partially covered. He was located after a tip-off and apprehended by Segurança Presente officers while illegally selling transit cards at Praça Mauá.
07/08/2025 – In the early hours of Thursday (07/08), four hooded men armed with assault rifles carjacked a driver on Praia do Flamengo, South Zone, near number 360. The attack, which lasted only seconds and caused no injuries, was caught on a security camera. Although the police were not alerted at the time, patrols were reinforced after footage circulated on social media. Intelligence units from the 2nd Military Police Battalion are working to identify the perpetrators. According to O Globo, Flamengo is among the Rio neighborhoods with the highest rise in thefts, in a state where 43% of Brazil’s seized assault rifles have been confiscated over the last decade.
