01/03/2026 – On Sunday (1st), Civil Police dismantled a strategic drug distribution point hidden in the forests of Sapinhatuba 1. Controlled by the Terceiro Comando Puro criminal group, the site featured a lookout post with a tactical view, accessible only via steep stairs and hidden trails. A 33-year-old man was caught red-handed and arrested along with a significant haul, including 245 units of cocaine, 145 crack rocks, and accounting ledgers. The suspect, who lived 10 km away and had a prior record for theft, was captured while attempting to flee through the dense vegetation.
02/03/2026 – On Monday (2), the Military Police dismantled a major Comando Vermelho storage and distribution center in Bracuí. Following reports of open drug sales and resident intimidation, officers discovered a rented house used to prepare and supply narcotics. The operation resulted in the seizure of approximately 100 kg of marijuana, over 3,000 pins of cocaine, ecstasy, and bulk materials for manufacturing inhalants. A 41-year-old man acting as a lookout was arrested after admitting to working for the local crime boss and revealing the location of the stash.
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02/03/2026 – On Monday (2), a man was arrested in Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro, for the repeated sexual abuse of his niece over a ten-year period. The victim, now 16 years old, reported to the Civil Police that the assaults began when she was only seven, occurring both in her home and at her grandmother’s house. Following her testimony and the collection of evidence, a preventive arrest warrant was issued for the uncle, who now faces charges of statutory rape.
06/03/2026 – On Friday (6), the Civil Police arrested a 35-year-old man in the Bracuí neighborhood for extorting local business owners. Security camera footage captured the suspect and an accomplice demanding monthly payments of R$8,000, allegedly on behalf of an incarcerated criminal leader. While one suspect is now in custody, police are actively searching for the second individual identified in the videos.
07/03/2026 – On Saturday (7), the Civil Police arrested a 24-year-old man in Garatucaia, a district of Angra dos Reis, suspected of leading a specialized gang that robs pharmacies for high-value weight-loss pens and luxury cosmetics. The group, reportedly linked to the “Comando Vermelho” faction, operated across the Rio Metropolitan area, using armed violence to subdue employees before flaunting the stolen goods on social media. The suspect, who had over ten prior criminal records and had been released from prison just a year earlier, was apprehended in a luxury home with a stolen cell phone and was later identified by victims of a recent heist in Barra da Tijuca.
07/03/2026 – On Saturday (7), the body of a young man who had disappeared from the Morro do Santo Antônio community was discovered in Sapinhatuba 2. Local residents alerted authorities after noticing a strong odor near the local municipal school; the victim was found with signs of severe torture and his limbs tied. Civil Police are currently analyzing city surveillance cameras to identify the perpetrators, suspecting that the site near the city’s entrance was used as a dumping ground for the body.
08/03/2026 – On Sunday (8), a joint operation between the Federal Police and Angra dos Reis authorities resulted in the arrest of two military personnel in Ilha Grande. The suspects were caught near Ilha da Gipóia after firing gunshots from a speedboat, terrifying tourists and children at a local beach. Officers seized a 9mm pistol during the maritime intercept, and both men were detained.
11/03/2026 – On Wednesday (11), Civil Police arrested a drug trafficking manager linked to the TCP gang in the Sapinhatuba I community. A fugitive for nearly four years, the suspect was captured after a physical struggle with officers during a raid on a distribution point. Authorities seized significant quantities of cocaine, crack, and marijuana, along with a radio communicator and cash.
12/03/2026 – On Thursday (12), a family in Angra dos Reis was held hostage for four hours during a violent home invasion where 200,000 reais were stolen via fraudulent bank transfers to third parties in Rio de Janeiro capital. The masked assailants tied up the victims before fleeing in their vehicle; however, one suspect worked barefoot, allowing victims to notice a distinct crack in his toenail. On Friday (13), police arrested the primary suspect after identifying the unique nail injury, along with his mother, whose home contained stashed drugs. His accomplice remains at large.
16/03/2026 – On Monday (16), Civil Police officers arrested a lookout for the Comando Vermelho during an operation in the Banqueta housing complex. The 29-year-old suspect violently resisted arrest, engaging in a physical struggle and attempting to disarm an officer before being subdued by the backup team. Although he provided a false name, police confirmed his true identity through a credit card found in his possession. The suspect, who has a prior criminal record for robbery and drug trafficking, was caught with a radio communicator used to monitor police activity for the criminal faction.
17/03/2026 – On Tuesday (17), Civil Police officers arrested three homeless men acting as mobile intermediaries for drug traffickers at Praia do Anil. As part of Operation Kira, the suspects, aged 19, 28, and 51, were caught in the act of delivering cocaine, crack, and marijuana to users after sourcing the drugs from the Morro da Fortaleza stronghold. All three individuals, who have prior criminal records, were charged with drug trafficking and association with a criminal faction. Authorities highlighted that trafficking groups are increasingly exploiting vulnerable populations to facilitate and expand their local sales operations.
18/03/2026 – On Wednesday (18), a 15-year-old minor was apprehended while selling drugs near a sports court in the Morro da Fortaleza community. Following reports of a suspect in black clothing operating a distribution point, civil police officers monitored the area and moved in as the teenager retrieved supplies from a nearby wooded area. In addition to a communication radio and small amounts of cocaine found on his person, agents discovered a bag hidden behind a wall containing 173 pins of cocaine, 100 packets of marijuana, another radio, and a small amount of cash.
20/03/2026 – On Friday (20), Civil Police arrested two men in Angra dos Reis during the second phase of Operation Armeiro-Mestre, investigating the August 2025 murder of an officer killed in front of his son. The suspects, aged 18 and 20, are linked to a criminal faction specializing in the manufacture and distribution of high-caliber weapons. This follows an earlier phase that targeted the group’s logistics manager and seized war-grade equipment across Rio and São Paulo. Investigations remain active to dismantle the entire operational structure behind the officer’s assassination.
24/03/2026 – On Tuesday (24), the Federal Police launched “Operation Ghostbusters” targeting Councilman Greguy Soares Duarte for embezzlement and ghost employment. The investigation focuses on an assistant earning R$ 7,000 monthly who, despite her full-time contract, lives in another city as a medical student and practicing dentist. Raids were conducted at several offices and residences to uncover a “rachadinha” kickback scheme and electoral fraud. The councilman denied the allegations, claiming the staffer worked remotely.
TRENDS & ADVICE
- Shootouts remain the main risk facing personnel in Angra dos Reis. Several security operations related to drug trafficking are also registered every week.
- If you find yourself in the immediate vicinity of a shootout:
- lay on the ground and seek a solid cover.
- If you are in your car, the engine block is a good barrier behind which you could seek protection.
- When it is safe to do so, find the nearest building, stay away from any windows, and do not move until the gunfire has clearly ended.
- Pay attention to the sounds of shots when driving through BR-101, which has on its margins many gang-controlled zones.
- Be cautious when in the vicinity of ‘communities’, particularly: Morro da Fortaleza, Parque Belém, Sapinhatuba I, Sapinhatuba II, Sapinhatuba III, Areal, Parque Mambucaba, Japuíba, Frade, Bracuí, Morro do Santo Antônio, and Morro da Glória I and II.
- Avoid stopping on BR-101 roadside, due to cases of robberies, especially in the most isolated areas and after nightfall.
- Be careful when walking downtown as there is a risk of property crimes, thefts, and robberies.
- Attention to scams that may reach you through a WhatsApp message, e-mail, SMS, or a call.
