A group of 11 military police officers was the target of an operation carried out by the Rio de Janeiro Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPRJ). The agents are accused of running an extortion scheme in Belford Roxo, in the Baixada Fluminense region, where they demanded payments from business owners in exchange for “private security.” According to the investigation, the group went so far as to claim they were “worse than a militia,” using fear and intimidation tactics to pressure victims into compliance. Nine officers were arrested as part of the operation.
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Working Hours
According to the complaint filed by the Specialized Public Security Task Force (Gaesp/MPRJ), the officers carried out these illicit activities during official working hours, while wearing their uniforms and using official patrol vehicles. The military police officers provided security services to a range of businesses and institutions, including restaurants, gas stations, pharmacies, clinics, universities, funeral homes, transportation companies, and even a DMV station.
Arrested
Prosecutors set out to execute arrest warrants against the 11 officers involved. Six of them were assigned to the 39th Military Police Battalion in Belford Roxo. The individuals were formally charged with participating in a criminal organization, passive corruption, and embezzlement—a crime involving the misappropriation of public resources by a public official. The arrest warrants were executed at addresses in Belford Roxo, Nova Iguaçu, Maricá, and the Pavuna and Bento Ribeiro neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro.
39th Battalion
According to Gaesp/MPRJ, the crimes took place between 2021 and 2024, during which time the accused officers were assigned to the 39th Military Police Battalion in Belford Roxo. Some of them were still serving at the unit when the operation was carried out. Business owners who paid for the illegal services were informally referred to as “godfathers,” indicating a relationship of influence and favoritism.
Economic Dependence
Investigators from Gaesp concluded that the security services were contracted directly by local merchants, creating a relationship of economic dependence between the officers and the business owners. This arrangement undermined the principles of legality, morality, and equal access to public security services. When contacted for comment, the Military Police stated that its Internal Affairs Department is monitoring the Public Prosecutor’s actions and reaffirmed that the institution does not tolerate any form of criminal behavior or misconduct by its members.
Analysis:
This case represents a serious breakdown in the institutional function of the Rio de Janeiro Military Police, where officers allegedly used their official roles and public resources to run an extortion scheme under the guise of private security. Carrying out these activities in uniform, during working hours, and with patrol vehicles reveals a troubling normalization of misconduct within certain units. Such behavior not only violates legal and ethical standards but severely damages public confidence in law enforcement, particularly in vulnerable areas like Belford Roxo.
Their reported remark that they were “worse than a militia” speaks volumes about the distorted sense of authority within parts of the force. Moreover, the structure and operation of this scheme suggest the possible emergence of a new criminal group—formed from within state institutions—in a city already saturated with rival armed factions. If left unchecked, this network could evolve into yet another power competing violently for control in Rio’s fragmented and contested criminal landscape.
