Between February 13 and 15, 2026, the Rio de Janeiro Military Police arrested 215 adults and detained 26 minors as part of a massive Carnival security operation involving 12,500 officers. A highlight of the strategy was the use of undercover intelligence agents embedded within the crowds; one officer, disguised in a Mexican costume, successfully caught a teenager stealing a tourist’s phone during the Bangalafumenga parade. Despite scattered reports of robberies and a high-profile incident involving foreign tourists near Sambódromo, authorities emphasized that over 40 phones were recovered and that the overall crime rate remains low relative to the millions of visitors in the city.
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13/02/2026 – On Friday (13), four French tourists were victims of a mass robbery on Rua Frei Caneca, shortly after leaving the Sambódromo dispersal area. The group was surrounded and pinned against a wall by several men, resulting in one stolen cellphone. Despite the heavy crowds for the Série Ouro parades, victims noted a complete lack of police presence at the site of the attack, with nearby officers explaining they had been redeployed to handle other robberies in the vicinity.
14/02/2026 – On Saturday (14), 32-year-old Alisson Daniel Lima de França was beaten to death in Paciência, West Zone, following an argument with his former employer. The suspect allegedly attacked Alisson with a wooden plank, and a group of unidentified individuals later abandoned the victim’s body at a hospital before fleeing. In retaliation, residents looted the merchant’s store.
14/02/2026 – On Saturday (14), Fábio Rangel Pereira, a 47-year-old app driver, was shot and killed while trying to break up a fight between rival “bate-bola” groups in Rocha Miranda, North Zone. During a fireworks display, a man opened fire, hitting Fábio seven times and wounding another man in the leg. This tragedy was part of a violent weekend involving these traditional Carnival groups, which led to nine arrests and the seizure of seven firearms and a grenade across the Ilha do Governador and Padre Miguel regions.
14/02/2026 – On Saturday morning (14), armed assailants on motorcycles ambushed a van carrying 20 Carnival revelers from a Sapucaí box seat (camarote) in Estácio. The vehicle was diverted into a trap on Rua Maia de Lacerda, where gunmen stole cellphones and jewelry in an operation lasting less than five minutes. Despite the state’s massive 26,000-agent security plan, victims reported a lack of immediate police assistance, leading the Military Police to announce an additional 30-officer patrol surge around the Sambódromo to protect attendees exiting the event.
14/02/2026 – On Saturday morning (14), the Military Police seized 66 sharp objects and other prohibited items during preventive searches at the access points for the Cordão do Bola Preta block, in Lapa, Central Rio. The haul included scissors, pliers, pointed metal objects, and glass bottles, which—while common in daily life—pose significant risks in high-density crowds or are used by criminals to intimidate victims during cell phone thefts. This proactive operation utilized checkpoints, metal detectors, and facial recognition drones to ensure public security during one of Rio’s largest Carnival gatherings.
15/02/2026 – On Sunday (15), agents from the Robbery and Theft Division (DRF) thwarted a high-stakes heist at a jewelry store in downtown Rio. The criminals, a specialized crew from São Paulo supported by the Red Command (CV), were caught drilling through a neighboring wall to bypass security during the Carnival holiday. One suspect was arrested, while his accomplices managed to flee after throwing an explosive device at officers; police seized a hydraulic jack, blowtorches, and heavy drilling equipment used in the sophisticated attempt.
15/02/2026 – On Sunday (15), the Military Police intervened in a violent turf war at Morro do Chaves, in the Barros Filho neighborhood, North Zone, after Red Command members attempted to invade the Third Pure Command-controlled community. The operation resulted in two suspects killed, two wounded, and six arrested as they tried to flee in hijacked cars. Officers seized five assault rifles, two pistols, and three grenades during the clash.
16/02/2026 – On Monday (16), digital influencer Henrique Silva, known as Fontinnele, was involved in a massive brawl on the Copacabana boardwalk during a live stream on the Kick platform. The incident began when Fontinnele was punched in the face by another man, prompting his group to retaliate with kicks, punches, and wooden planks until Military Police intervened with pepper spray.
16/02/2026 – On Monday (16), Civil Police arrested a woman and her uncle for attempting to fraudulently transfer over R$ 1 million from a bank account in Barra da Tijuca, Southwest Zone. The woman presented a falsified power of attorney claiming to represent the account holder, who resides in Australia. After a suspicious bank manager initiated a verification process, the pair was apprehended at a nearby café and subsequently charged with fraud after admitting to using the forged document.
18/02/2026 – On Wednesday night (18), a shooting during a Carnival event in Catumbi, Central Rio, left one man dead and three others wounded, including a 9-year-old child. Two gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on Rua Frei Caneca, near an entrance to Morro da Mineira, causing panic in a crowded square. Investigators believe the attack stems from a conflict between rival factions Red Command and Third Pure Command. While one victim died at the hospital, the current condition of the survivors, including the child and a 23-year-old man, has not been released.
19/02/2026 – On Thursday (19), an American tourist and content creator reported that a thief snatched her phone through an open rideshare window near the Arcos da Lapa, in Lapa. Following the theft, criminals accessed her bank account and withdrew over $40,000, while also locking her out of her email and changing her account language to Portuguese. Although the victim shared the ordeal with her followers on social media, local Civil Police stated that no formal report has been filed yet with the Special Tourist Support Delegation (DEAT).
