The Crime Map released on Monday (21/07), reveals that Bangu, Campo Grande, and Realengo account for more than half of mobile phone and vehicle thefts in Rio’s “root” West Zone. In 2024, Bangu recorded 350 phone robberies (+67.1%), Campo Grande 288 (+27.4%), and Realengo 371 (+67.1%). For vehicle thefts, Campo Grande ranked 6th with 401 cases, Bangu 3rd with 491, and Realengo 7th with 385. Even neighborhoods with military installations, such as Vila Militar and Campo dos Afonsos, have seen sharp increases in assaults.
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A surge in violence in Vicente de Carvalho, North Zone, has led to store closures and widespread fear among merchants. Between January and May 2025, robberies in the area increased by 16%, and business closures more than doubled compared to 2024, rising from 9 to 20. Shop owners report extortion by drug traffickers demanding payment to keep stores open, and some businesses have shut down permanently due to threats. Despite increased police presence, including armored vehicles, shootings remain frequent. Authorities urge residents to file reports to help identify criminal groups and target investigations.
Between January and July 2025, 31 military police officers were killed in the state of Rio de Janeiro — 19 off duty, 5 on duty, and 7 retired — already indicating that the final result will surpassing the total of 37 deaths recorded in all of 2024. According to data from the Instituto Fogo Cruzado, 28 of those killings occurred in the metropolitan region, marking a 64% increase compared to the 17 deaths in the first half of 2024. The number of officers shot and injured also rose by approximately 31% over the same period. The Capital Homicide Division (DHC) is investigating 21 of this year’s cases, including 9 robberies followed by death, 5 during operations, and 8 under other circumstances.
18/07/2025 – On Friday (18/07), the Federal Police arrested a man at a post office in Barra da Tijuca, West Zone, as he attempted to send 81 packages containing counterfeit Brazilian currency. A total of R$80,000 in fake R$20, R$50, R$100, and R$200 bills was seized. The investigation, led by the Federal Crimes Division (Delefaz/RJ), revealed that the parcels were destined for various cities across Brazil.
21/07/2025 – On Monday (21/07), a clash between police and drug traffickers spread terror in Praça Seca, West Zone. Barricades were set on fire after armed men from the Bateau Mouche favela attacked officers, triggering a shootout that left one dead and three injured, including the local Red Command leader. Three rifles and one handgun were seized. The gunfight disrupted five BRT lines and led to a temporary suspension of service.
21/07/2025 – On Monday (21/07), a decomposing body was found floating in the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, South Zone, by rowers from the Botafogo club. The victim, a man around 40 years old, remains unidentified and was retrieved near the Clube dos Caiçaras. This is the second body found in the lagoon within a week, following the discovery of a homeless man on 15 July. A third body was also found on 25 June at Praia Vermelha, in Urca. The 15th Police Precinct (Gávea) is investigating.
21/07/2025 – Police confirmed that Sergeant Gabriel Guimarães Sá Izau, found dead in an abandoned car in Duque de Caxias on Monday (21/07), had been killed the previous day during a shootout with drug traffickers in Vila do João, part of the Maré complex. According to the investigation, the officer entered the favela alone by car and opened fire, though the motive remains unknown. A 21-year-old man, Robson Freire da Silva, who was not involved with drug trafficking, was also killed in the crossfire. The officer was a member of the Shock Battalion.
21/07/2025 – On Monday (21/07), a cargo robbery attempt on the Presidente Dutra Highway near Irajá, North Zone, ended in a shootout and one arrest. Federal Highway Police and a security escort intervened near the Trevo das Margaridas, confronting the suspects and halting traffic. A video shared online shows officers engaging the criminals. One man, reportedly from the Chapadão Complex — an area controlled by the Red Command — was arrested with a fake gun. His accomplices managed to flee after the exchange of fire. No injuries were reported.
21/07/2025 – On Monday (21/07), in Laranjeiras, South Zone, a 20-year-old delivery worker, Antônio de Pádua Nogueira, was slapped in the face by a gun-wielding penal officer, Marcelo Oliveira, despite fully complying with his orders. Security camera footage shows the officer threatening him with a firearm, forcing him to drop his bag, lift his shirt, and raise his arms before assaulting him. The incident sparked outrage, leading to a protest by fellow couriers outside the officer’s building. The state prison administration (Seap) internal affairs division is handling the case.
22/07/2025 – On Tuesday (22/07), a Rio de Janeiro court issued a preventive arrest warrant for rapper Oruam, accused of obstructing the arrest of a wanted minor involved in robbery and drug trafficking. According to police, the artist resisted officers outside his home in Joá, Zona Oeste, threw stones at them, and helped the suspect escape. He is charged with seven crimes, including drug trafficking, resisting arrest, and assault. Following the incident, Oruam posted videos from the Complexo da Penha taunting police. This is not his first legal issue—he was arrested earlier this year for harboring a fugitive and is linked to criminal figures, including his father, Marcinho VP.
22/07/2025 – On Tuesday night (22/07), police from the Mangueira UPP thwarted a cargo theft worth R$220,000 on Rua São Luiz Gonzaga, in São Cristóvão, North Zone. Officers spotted a truck being escorted by two motorcycles and intervened. The suspects fled, and the full shipment of lubricant oil was recovered. Earlier that day, another attempted cargo robbery—of food valued at R$95,000—was also foiled on Avenida Brasil, though the suspects again escaped. Both cases are under investigation.
22/07/2025 – On Tuesday (22/07), Gizelle Lucena, 31, was shot in the head during a robbery at Bar do Búfalo on Rua Rio da Prata, in Bangu, West Zone. An armed man assaulted a customer, fired his weapon during a struggle, and struck Gizelle, who was at the restaurant with her husband and two-month-old baby. The 34th DP is investigating the case.
22/07/2025 – On Tuesday (22/07), a man was arrested in Bonsucesso, North Zone, after retrieving three international packages containing illegal rifle accessories from a Correios agency. The operation, conducted by the Federal Police and the Federal Revenue Service, uncovered four flash suppressors, two scopes, and two laser sights imported from China. Authorities believe the items were intended for organized crime groups operating nearby.
23/07/2025 – On Wednesday (23/07), a Military Police operation in the Complexo da Maré, North Zone, triggered intense shootouts and the burning of barricades. Armed criminals opened fire on police in Vila dos Pinheiros around 5:00, leaving one suspect injured and hospitalized. Officers seized a rifle, two pistols, and ammunition, and discovered a drug lab containing over 30 kg of cocaine and equipment for drug packaging.
23/07/2025 – On Wednesday morning (23/07), police launched an operation in the Primavera community of Cavalcanti, North Zone, targeting a vehicle theft gang. The area, controlled by the Third Pure Command (TCP), serves as a base for car theft and dismantling. One man was arrested, ten stolen vehicles recovered, and a cannabis greenhouse was found. The action is part of the second phase of Operation Torniquete, which has so far led to over 550 arrests and R$38 million in recovered goods, alongside R$70 million in blocked assets.
23/07/2025 – On Wednesday (23/07), off-duty military police officer Tulio de Siqueira Maia was shot and killed during a suspected attempted robbery as he exited a McDonald’s in Vila Valqueire, West Zone. Witnesses say he was approached by a man on a motorcycle and was shot in the head after reportedly reacting. Tulio was the 30th PM officer killed in Rio this year. The Capital Homicide Division is investigating.
23/07/2025 – On Wednesday morning (23/07), in Tijuca, North Zone, 44-year-old physiotherapist Mariela Amado Vieira was killed by her husband in the garage of their apartment building on Rua Conde de Bonfim. According to initial police findings, the husband strangled her and then shot himself. The couple had two children and no prior reports of violence, though neighbors mentioned a possible divorce. The case is being investigated as a femicide followed by suicide.
23/07/2025 – Despite a more discreet approach, suspicious mobile phones continue to be sold on Rua Uruguaiana, in downtown Rio de Janeiro — the city’s top neighborhood for cellphone thefts. On Wednesday (23/07), reporters witnessed street vendors offering devices like the Samsung S-23 for up to R$800 below retail prices, often just steps from the Uruguaiana camelódromo. Although these phones are no longer openly displayed in stalls, vendors still approach passersby to advertise phones and even black-market medications. Since May 2025, nearly 5,000 stolen or lost phones have been recovered during the ongoing “Operação Rastreio,” with 1,400 returned to their owners just on Tuesday (22/07).
23/07/2025 – On Wednesday (23/07), the Military Police dismantled a cocaine refinery in the Complexo da Maré, North Zone, during a major operation targeting areas controlled by the Third Pure Command (TCP) faction. The raid spanned five communities and involved heavy gunfire between police and traffickers, resulting in one resident being wounded by a stray bullet and hospitalized. Officers seized 30 kilograms of cocaine, a machine for packing the drug, a marijuana grow house with 300 plants, and a car chop shop with parts from at least ten vehicles. The operation involved multiple elite police units and aimed to capture criminals from other states involved in local turf wars.
