According to the Health Municipal Secretariat, Rio’s hospitals treated 1,840 gunshot victims in 2025, an alarming 66% increase in one year. The typical profile of these victims is male, aged 20 to 40, residing primarily in the areas of Bangu or Pavuna. In 2026, 315 cases have already been recorded, while a new tracking system reveals that 19 people have undergone amputations due to armed violence since 2024.
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According to data from the Public Security Institute (ISP) released in March 2026, the Lapa district in Central Rio saw a 22% increase in drug trafficking and a 15% rise in cell phone robberies during the first two months of the year. These figures contrast with the overall decline in crime in other parts of the city’s central region. In response, the Military Police has intensified patrols and increased stop-and-search operations, particularly targeting suspects on motorcycles in high-traffic nightlife areas.
13/03/2026 – On Friday (13), Civil Police raided a clandestine warehouse in Taquara, Southwest Rio, where weight-loss drugs were being illegally manufactured. Ten employees were arrested in the act, some while attempting to flee with refrigerated vials of tirzepatide (the active ingredient in drugs like Mounjaro). Authorities also seized eight motorcycles used for a private delivery network, highlighting an organized logistics scheme for distributing these unauthorized substances.
13/03/2026 – On Friday night (13), Military Police arrested a street vendor in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, for charging a Colombian tourist R$ 2,500 for a single caipirinha. The victim had agreed to pay R$ 80 but later realized the much higher amount had been processed on his card. The suspect was found hiding in a beach kiosk restroom, where he resisted arrest; police seized two cell phones, a card machine, and a small amount of marijuana.
15/03/2026 – On Sunday (15), police in Rio de Janeiro arrested a man convicted of sexually abusing his 5-year-old son in 2014. The crime, committed in retaliation after the child revealed the father’s extramarital affair to his mother, was witnessed by the victim’s twin brother. The perpetrator, who had been a fugitive since his conviction for statutory rape, was located in Guaratiba.
15/03/2026 – On Sunday night (15), 61-year-old physician Andrea Marins Dias was shot and killed while driving in Cascadura, North Zone. The tragedy occurred during a Military Police pursuit of robbery suspects; officers claim they returned fire after being shot at by occupants of three fleeing vehicles, including a car identical to the victim’s.
15/03/2026 – On Sunday (15), Military Police captured the alleged head of drug trafficking of Macaé while he was on Copacabana Beach. Monitored by drone for over a month, the suspect was apprehended without incident by the 19th BPM. Previously convicted for assaulting a postal worker in 2020, he is among 62 high-profile criminals arrested in the state of Rio since the beginning of the year.
16/03/2026 – On Monday (16), protesters used at least four buses to block Rua Cândido Benício, in Praça Seca, Southwest Rio, as a retaliatory measure following a fatal police confrontation in the Covanca Complex earlier that morning. One suspect died in the initial shootout, leading to demonstrations that paralyzed several municipal and inter-city bus lines and forced the temporary closure of parts of the Transcarioca BRT corridor. Military Police units (18th BPM and RECOM) were deployed to clear the area, and traffic was reportedly restored by mid-afternoon.
16/03/2026 – On Monday night (16), two Military Police officers from the 18th BPM (Jacarepaguá) were shot during an intelligence operation in Taquara, Southwest Rio. The officers were ambushed by heavily armed criminals on Estrada dos Teixeiras, reportedly after their unmarked vehicle was identified by local traffickers. Both victims were rescued and transported to Lourenço Jorge Municipal Hospital in Barra da Tijuca; social media footage suggests the attackers were linked to the Comando Vermelho (CV) faction.
17/03/2026 – On Tuesday (17), Operation “Colmeia” led to the arrest of 11 Comando Vermelho members in Rio’s tourist district of Lapa. Investigations revealed that traffickers, led by the fugitive “Abelha,” operated crack dens near the Selarón Steps and subjected users to torture sessions. This police offensive targeted 28 arrest warrants across the Fallet-Fogueteiro and Prazeres favelas to dismantle the criminal logistics embedded in the city’s historic center.
17/03/2026 – On Tuesday (17), a high-speed chase on Avenida Brasil ended in a shootout and the arrest of one suspect near Penha, North Zone. Federal Highway Police (PRF) officers spotted a suspicious vehicle near Trevo das Margaridas, in Irajá, and attempted to pull it over, but the occupants fled toward the city center. After being intercepted, two individuals opened fire on the officers and managed to escape, while a third man was arrested inside the car. Police seized a 9mm pistol with extended magazines and ammunition and confirmed that the vehicle had been reported stolen in December 2025.
18/03/2026 – On Wednesday (18), a major BOPE operation in Morro dos Prazeres, central Rio, resulted in the death of seven suspects, including the local drug kingpin known as “Jiló”. During the intervention, a resident was killed after criminals took refuge in his house. His wife was released and left unharmed. Two officers were wounded during the clashes, while in retaliation, buses were set on fire and major roads such as Paulo de Frontin Avenue were blocked by criminal faction members.
18/03/2026 – On Wednesday (18), a police operation in Vila Kennedy, West Zone, targeted those responsible for the death of officer Marcelo José Batista, who was tracked by drone and executed in 2025. The primary suspect was killed in a shootout with CORE agents during the raid, while a second accomplice had already died in February. By neutralizing these individuals, the mission dismantled the CV criminal cell responsible for the ambush on Avenida Brasil.
18/03/2026 – On Wednesday (18), Rio Civil Police arrested the former president of the Semeadores da Luz spiritual center, located on Ilha do Governador. A fugitive since his 2023 conviction, this individual is accused of sexually abusing over 100 followers between 2009 and 2016 by exploiting his position as a mentor during rituals. The spiritual center has since permanently closed its doors following the scandal, and the former vice-president, who was also convicted, remains at large.
19/03/2026 – On Thursday (19), two men were shot while inside a vehicle in Curicica, West Zone. According to initial reports, assailants opened fire on the car before fleeing the scene. The victims were transported to a local hospital, and Military Police officers were dispatched to secure the area.
