A pursuit followed by an intense shootout on Tuesday night (28/07) ended with the deaths of a Military Police corporal and four suspects. Another police officer, a driver, and two suspects were wounded, while an arsenal was seized on Avenida Brasil, near the Bonsucesso neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro’s North Zone. The confrontation occurred at around 22:30 after Military Police teams were called to support officers from the Expressway Police Battalion (BPVE), who had come under fire while attempting to intercept a vehicle carrying criminals.
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Pursuit
According to the Military Police, the incident began at around 22:30 in Guadalupe, after teams from the Expressway Police Battalion (BPVE) received information that two vehicles leaving Vila Kennedy, in the West Zone, were heading toward Penha, in the North Zone. Shortly afterward, the officers requested support from other units and began pursuing the vehicles along Avenida Brasil toward the city center. Upon reaching the Ramos neighborhood, the Riot Police Battalion set up a roadblock. During the interception attempt, the occupants ignored orders to stop, and the suspects’ vehicle crashed during the pursuit. Officers found all the occupants wounded inside the car. The criminals then reportedly opened fire on the police.
Attempted Incursion
Military Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Cláudia Moraes explained that the force’s intelligence unit had identified the movement of criminals leaving Vila Kennedy to attack an area controlled by a rival faction. According to her, the group was traveling in two vehicles and carrying six assault rifles, three pistols, grenades, and camouflage clothing. She stated that the officers involved in the roadblock were participating in “Operation Interception,” which maintains continuous monitoring of the region due to territorial disputes between criminal factions. Avenida Brasil, like other expressways, is frequently used by criminals to move between faction-controlled areas, mainly to carry out attacks.
Shootouts
In addition to handling thousands of vehicles every day, the avenue, which crosses 27 neighborhoods from the Port Zone to the West Zone, has become a strategic corridor for criminals traveling between territories controlled by rival factions, exposing motorists and passengers to armed confrontations. The figures help illustrate the fear experienced by nearby residents and those who regularly travel along Avenida Brasil. Data from the Fogo Cruzado Institute indicate that, between January 1 and July 29 this year, 20 shootouts were recorded near the road, nine of them during police operations. A total of 22 people were shot, 12 of whom died. The victims included two security officers who were killed and two others who were wounded. Although the total number of incidents in 2026 is lower than during the same period in 2025, when 29 shootouts were recorded, Avenida Brasil remains the expressway with the highest concentration of violent incidents in the city. The avenue was also closed at least 17 times this year due to shootouts or other violence-related events. These closures occurred at different points along the road, including Maré, Bonsucesso, Guadalupe, Penha, Benfica, Manguinhos, Costa Barros, Brás de Pina, and the entrance to Vila Kennedy, causing traffic disruptions across several areas of the city.
Analysis:
The incident on Avenida Brasil demonstrates how Rio de Janeiro’s main expressways have become strategic corridors in the dynamics of organized crime. Rather than serving only as transportation routes, these roads allow armed groups to move rapidly between territories controlled by rival factions, enabling attempts to reinforce positions, transport weapons, or launch incursions into disputed communities. This operational mobility increases the likelihood that confrontations will occur in densely populated areas, exposing thousands of commuters and nearby residents to significant security risks.
