Institute of Public Security (ISP) data showed that in July, the state of Rio recorded 2,390 cellphone robberies and 4,058 thefts, a historic record for thefts since 2003. In the South Zone, Leblon had 173 thefts, behind only Barra da Tijuca (305) and downtown Mem de Sá (302), followed by Praça da Bandeira and Catete. In 2025 so far, there have been 15,567 robberies and 26,689 thefts, increases of up to 52% compared to 2024. Since May, Operation Rastreio has seized 4,700 devices and began returning 1,400 on 22 July, with ongoing investigations supported by the Celular Seguro RJ app launched on 1 July.
01/08/2025 – On Friday (01/08), BP Choque officers arrested Igor Gomes Matheus, known as Rugal, identified by police as one of the top leaders of the Third Pure Command (TCP) and a key figure in controlling drug sales in the Morro da Serrinha, Madureira, North Zone. He is suspected of orchestrating armed takeovers of rival territories. Rugal was found in a speeding taxi on Rua João Ribeiro, Tomás Coelho, along with his father, partner, and daughter.
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02/08/2025 – On Saturday morning (02/08), a shootout in the vicinity of Morro do Fubá, in Cascadura, North Zone, frightened residents. The area has been the scene of ongoing clashes between rival drug factions, Red Command (CV) and Third Pure Command (TCP), with tensions escalating since the death of a CV member in June. Gunfights have been reported throughout the week, including an incident on Monday (28/07) when a man was shot at a local snack bar.
03/08/2025 – On early Sunday (03/08), two women were arrested in Benfica, North Zone, while traveling in a clandestine bus. They were caught with around 48 kg of marijuana and 14 9mm magazines intended for delivery in Guarabira, Paraíba. Acting on intelligence, officers from the 25th DP located two tagged suitcases containing drugs and accessories. Both suspects admitted ownership and were charged with interstate drug trafficking; Dayane also faces charges for illegal possession of restricted firearm accessories.
03/08/2025 – On Sunday (03/08), two women linked to the Red Command (CV) drug faction in Mato Grosso were arrested in a shopping mall in Jacarepaguá, West Zone. Both had outstanding warrants for criminal organization and drug trafficking. One of them, considered extremely violent, had led the faction in Sorriso since 2022 and was also wanted for homicides. The other is the ex-wife of a top trafficker in the state; her mother had been arrested last year, and her sister remains a fugitive. The women had reportedly been hiding in Rio’s Maré complex.
04/08/2025 – Álvaro Borges Ribeiro, a 70-year-old businessman, was stabbed to death on Monday morning (04/08) inside a commercial building on Rua da Quitanda, in downtown Rio. A security camera recorded the main suspect entering and leaving the premises, wearing a shirt wrapped around his head and a mask. Witnesses said the attacker, believed to be a homeless man, followed the victim into the building. Nothing was reportedly stolen. The case is being investigated by the city’s Homicide Division.
05/08/2025 – On Tuesday (05/08), the Federal Police launched Operation Anabolic Express 2 against a group based in Ilha do Governador, North Zone, accused of importing, falsifying, and illegally selling anabolic steroids and psychotropic substances online, with nationwide deliveries via postal service. Two preventive arrest warrants, seven search warrants, and the freezing of assets and bank accounts up to R$30 million were issued. A previous seizure revealed the absence of active ingredients in several products, confirming their falsification.
05/08/2025 – On Tuesday (05/08), the Civil Police launched Operation Rede Obscura to dismantle illegal internet services controlled by CV and TCP factions in the North Zone of Rio and Baixada Fluminense. Seventeen search warrants were executed, resulting in the seizure of weapons, cash, and equipment, and two arrests. Investigations revealed two illegal ISPs—Flaquinete in Quitungo (CV) and RDO Telecom in Cordovil (TCP)—operating with armed support and sabotaging licensed providers. One suspect admitted to paying traffickers and receiving expansion offers.
05/08/2025 – On Tuesday (05/08), suspects fleeing a police raid in Morro do Urubu, in Pilares, North Zone, invaded a municipal daycare. A shootout followed, leaving two suspects dead, two injured under custody, and three arrested. Police seized rifles, a pistol, a grenade, and drugs. The 3rd BPM operation targeted Red Command members linked to turf wars in Campinho and Fubá. The suspects hid in the Vila dos Mineiros daycare; police waited for evacuation before engaging. The suspects opened fire, and the school suspended activities the next day.
05/08/2025 – On Tuesday (05/08), a man was robbed at gunpoint inside an official Flamengo store on Visconde de Pirajá Street in Ipanema, South Zone. The thief, armed with a handgun, demanded a gold necklace. The incident was recorded by security cameras. The assailant fled on a motorcycle driven by an accomplice waiting outside.
06/08/2025 – On Wednesday morning (06/08), a truck carrying meat was looted in Morro da Pedreira, in Pavuna, North Zone. Despite the deployment of a Military Police armored vehicle, officers were unable to stop the crowd, which consisted of dozens of people seen leaving the scene with packages of meat. Aerial footage showed residents swarming around the armored car and a nearby building where the stolen cargo was being taken. Pepper spray was used in an attempt to control the situation, but the products were still removed. No injuries or arrests were reported. According to the Military Police Secretary, the police initially tried to act in a professional and restrained manner, but the situation escalated beyond control.
06/08/2025 – On Wednesday (06/08), military police arrested the man suspected of fatally stabbing 70-year-old businessman Álvaro Borges Ribeiro in a commercial building on Rua da Quitanda, in downtown Rio. The suspect, identified as a homeless man known in the area, allegedly followed the victim and attacked him after the latter refused to give him money. A surveillance camera captured the suspect entering and exiting the building with his face partially covered. He was located after a tip-off and apprehended by Segurança Presente officers while illegally selling transit cards at Praça Mauá.
07/08/2025 – In the early hours of Thursday (07/08), four hooded men armed with assault rifles carjacked a driver on Praia do Flamengo, South Zone, near number 360. The attack, which lasted only seconds and caused no injuries, was caught on a security camera. Although the police were not alerted at the time, patrols were reinforced after footage circulated on social media. Intelligence units from the 2nd Military Police Battalion are working to identify the perpetrators. According to O Globo, Flamengo is among the Rio neighborhoods with the highest rise in thefts, in a state where 43% of Brazil’s seized assault rifles have been confiscated over the last decade.
08/08/2025 – On Friday (08/08), Ariane Carvalho da Silva, 41, was killed after being struck while standing on the sidewalk of Estrada dos Bandeirantes in Vargem Pequena, West Zone, shortly after dropping her 3-year-old son at daycare. Three other people were injured. The driver, former Botafogo player Luan Plácido Moreira da Costa, 21, was initially arrested for bodily injury, resistance, contempt, and damage to public property after assaulting police officers at the scene and at the station.
08/08/2025 – On Friday (08/08), two British university students were victims of the “Boa noite Cinderella” scam (spiked drink scam) in Ipanema, South Zone, after meeting three women at a samba gathering in Lapa. The suspects allegedly drugged the victims, stole their phones, and made purchases totaling around R$14,600. Security footage shows one victim collapsing on the sand while the women fled in a taxi. The suspects, identified as sex workers with prior records for similar crimes, operate in Rio’s main tourist spots.
08/08/2025 – On Friday (08/08), Rio de Janeiro police seized 40 card machines, two motorcycles, and uniforms in Vidigal, South Zone, during an operation against the “fake exam” scam. Criminals, using stolen patient data, posed as lab staff to deliver supposed test results via couriers, charging small fees on card machines programmed for high-value transactions. One victim avoided a R$19,999.99 loss after her bank blocked the payment, while another lost nearly R$7,000. The gang, previously arrested in February, caused R$1.5 million in damages in two months by purchasing patient data from the deep web.
08/08/2025 – On Friday at noon (08/08), security cameras captured an armed robbery in Ramos, North Zone. Two men on a motorcycle approached an elderly woman on Rua Uranos; one got off, threatened her with a gun, and tried to snatch her bag. The victim resisted and was dragged several meters before the assailant escaped with the bag. According to the Military Police, the 22nd BPM has made about 400 arrests in the area this year and reinforced patrols through targeted operations, despite ISP data showing a 33% drop in street robberies compared to the first half of 2014.
08/08/2025 – On Friday (08/08), in Vila Valqueire, West Zone, three men attempted to steal a penal officer’s car on Rua Azaleia, leading to a shootout. The officer was shot in the leg but returned fire, wounding one assailant in the shoulder and leg. Police responding to reports of the assault found the officer injured and the suspect on the ground. A revolver and ski mask were seized.
09/08/2025 – On Saturday (09/08), police seized an arsenal of ten firearms, ammunition, and equipment for large-scale reloading at a luxury condominium in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, West Zone. The weapons were found in the home of a man previously convicted of international arms trafficking and stripped of his collector’s license in November 2024. Despite being required to surrender all weapons within 90 days, he kept them illegally. The seized arsenal included pistols, revolvers, carbines, a restricted-use rifle, and full reloading machinery.
10/08/2025 – On Sunday (10/08), an eight-month-old baby died in Realengo, West Zone of Rio de Janeiro, after allegedly choking while drinking from a bottle during the night. According to the Civil Police, the child and her five-year-old brother were left alone in a dirty, unsanitary home with no easily accessible food for the older sibling. Witnesses reported hearing the boy cry throughout the night and said their mother frequently abandoned them to go out, including on the night of the accident, when she stayed away for over six hours. Upon returning from a funk party around 8:30, the mother found the baby unresponsive and took her to a local emergency unit, where she was pronounced dead. She was arrested on the spot and charged with abandonment of a dependent resulting in death, while the boy was placed under the care of the Guardianship Council.
11/08/2025 – On Monday (11/08), Rio’s Child and Adolescent Victim Police Unit (DCAV) arrested a man for possessing child pornography, including an image of his niece. Investigators tracked him to an INSS office in downtown Rio, where he presented a private investigator ID claiming expertise in pedophilia cases—allegedly from a course he took. Police say he used this role to gain victims’ trust and already had a record for the same crime. Pornographic material involving minors was found on his phone. Authorities are working to identify other possible victims.
11/08/2025 – On Monday (11/08), a man was caught on video brutally assaulting a woman on Avenida Santa Cruz, in Realengo, West Zone. Footage shows him pushing her to the ground, pulling her by the hair, punching and kicking her while she lay on the sidewalk, then returning to shake her by the face. Residents say this is not the first time he has attacked women and that he intimidates neighbors by invoking the names of local criminals to prevent them from calling the police. The police are investigating and seeking to identify the suspect.
11/08/2025 – On Monday night (11/08), influencer Renato Azevedo had his phone stolen while livestreaming on Avenida Brasil, near the Transolímpica in Realengo, West zone. Two men posing as street vendors approached his car, sold him snacks, and engaged in casual conversation. One suspect distracted him while the other suddenly grabbed the phone from his hand and fled. The theft, witnessed live by his followers, was caught on video. Military Police arrested the pair shortly afterward near the Batan favela in Realengo and recovered the device.
12/08/2025 – On Tuesday morning (12/08), Civil Police carried out an operation in the Gogó de Guadalupe area, in the Chapadão complex, Anchieta, North Zone, arresting five Red Command’s (CV) traffickers. Among them was a man identified as the faction’s main vehicle dismantler. Officers discovered a chop shop, seizing rifle magazines, over 10 kg of drugs, and recovering 17 stolen vehicles. The action was part of the second phase of Operation Torniquete, targeting theft, cargo and vehicle fencing, and other crimes funding gang activities. Since September 2024, over 590 arrests and R$40 million in recovered goods have been recorded.
12/08/2025 – On Tuesday morning (12/08), the Federal Police arrested a couple at the luxury Sheraton Hotel in Vidigal, South Zone, during Operation Caffeine Break, targeting the diversion of legal-market chemicals to drug trafficking. Authorities allege the pair were involved in moving tons of caffeine from factories to criminal groups, where it was mixed into cocaine and synthetic drugs. The operation, ordered by the 3rd Federal Court of São José dos Campos, included 20 temporary arrest warrants, 51 search and seizure orders, and the blocking or seizure of assets worth up to R$72 million. Investigators say at least 550 tons of caffeine were acquired with false invoices.
12/08/2025 – On Tuesday (12/08), in Irajá, North Zone, an off-duty military police officer was shot in the mouth and chest during an attempted robbery while inside his car. The attack happened near the cemetery and around the same time colleagues were burying PM Cabo Paulo Rogério da Costa Lopes Filho and his father, killed two days earlier in Nova Iguaçu. Initial reports indicate the assailants recognized him as a police officer before firing.
13/08/2025 – On Wednesday (13/08), Rio de Janeiro Civil Police launched Operation “Rota Falsa” to dismantle a fraud scheme that caused Uber a loss of about R$115,000. According to the Defrauding Division, two suspects allegedly used artificial intelligence to create fake driver and passenger accounts, enabling nearly 2,000 fraudulent trips. Around 70 driver profiles were forged, many using digitally altered photos to bypass Uber’s identity verification. Most “passengers” abandoned unpaid accounts after inflating fares with multiple stops, while the “drivers” still received full payment via Pix. The operation executed five search warrants, and police are now investigating possible accomplices. Uber’s anti-fraud systems detected the scheme and reported it, collaborating with authorities.
13/08/2025 – Civil and Military Police carried out an operation on Wednesday (13/08), in the Gardênia Azul community, West Zone, to curb the territorial expansion of the Red Command (CV). Two suspects were killed in clashes, a third — a fugitive from Bahia suspected of cargo theft and assault on a public prosecutor — was injured, and three others were arrested. Officers seized two rifles, a pistol, a revolver, ammunition, grenades, and a notebook with drug trafficking records. The action, part of “Operation Contenção,” aims to dismantle the gang’s financial, logistical, and operational structure in the region, enforce arrest warrants, and force the faction’s retreat from Gardênia Azul.
14/08/2025 – On Thursday (14/08), in Barra da Tijuca, West Zone, civil police arrested two men from São Paulo accused of carrying out the “fake medical exam” scam targeting elderly victims. The pair obtained confidential medical data, contacted victims claiming their test results showed anomalies, and offered home delivery, demanding payment by debit card to then carry out fraudulent transactions. They were caught in a luxury condominium with card machines and fake exam envelopes. One tried to flee on a motorcycle but was apprehended.
14/08/2025 – On Thursday (14/08), in Rio das Pedras, West Zone, a stray bullet struck a 7-year-old boy during a physical education class at Municipal School Professora Marisa Vargas Menezes. The projectile hit his buttocks and exited through the groin. He was taken to the hospital. The city’s Education Department stated there was no police operation in the area at the time. According to Instituto Fogo Cruzado, 12 children aged 0–11 have been shot in Greater Rio in 2025, resulting in two deaths and ten injuries.
14/08/2025 – On Thursday (14/08), in Cascadura, North Zone, an unidentified woman was found dead on Rua Cametá with gunshot wounds to the head and chest. Her body was wrapped in a bedsheet, and she was wearing a black top and black pants, with tattoos on her left arm, neck, and chest. Military police from the 9th BPM responded, and the Capital Homicide Division conducted forensic work at the scene. The case is under investigation.
15/08/2025 – On Friday (15/08), a man was found shot dead on Avenida Ayrton Senna near Gardênia Azul, West zone, marking the ninth body discovered since 13 August, when six alleged Red Command (CV) members were killed in a joint police operation; two more victims were found the following day in Jacarepaguá, while the “Operação Contenção” led to 12 arrests, including gang enforcers, and the seizure of rifles, pistols, grenades, drugs, and trafficking records as part of efforts to curb CV’s territorial expansion in the area.
16/08/2025 – On Saturday (16/08), the Red Command took over Morro do Amorim, a favela in Manguinhos near Avenida Brasil and Linha Amarela, imposing rules such as removing cameras and forcing drivers to keep windows down under threat of death. The group painted CV and new management on walls, using the area to expand its territory and establish a hub by Avenida Brasil while extorting residents and businesses. The Military Police has carried out operations from its UPP base, and the Civil Police is investigating.
16/08/2025 – On Saturday (16/08), a man was arrested in Copacabana after allegedly drugging and robbing a French tourist in a “boa noite, Cinderela” scam (spiked drink scam). Agents from the Municipal Public Order Secretariat detained him on Avenida Atlântica after bystanders accused him, later locating the victim near the Hotel Pestana and providing medical assistance. The tourist was hospitalized.
16/08/2025 – On Saturday (16/08), Sther Barroso dos Santos, 22, was brutally murdered after refusing advances from a drug trafficker at a funk party in Vila Aliança, West Zone. Beaten and abandoned at her doorstep, she arrived dead at the hospital. Police suspect Bruno da Silva Loureiro, known as “Coronel,” a TCP leader wanted for trafficking, homicide, and criminal association, of ordering the crime. Originally from Muquiço, Sther and her family had left that favela controlled by Coronel to start over. The case is now being investigated by the Homicide Division (DHC), with no arrests so far.
17/08/2025 – On Sunday (17/08), a 37-year-old man was ambushed in Barra da Tijuca, West Zone, when his car was struck by at least 15 gunshots on Avenida Jornalista Tim Lopes. Just days earlier, on 12 August, a 49-year-old man had been executed with ten shots while parking on Rua Carlos Oswald, about four kilometers away. A month before, on 11 July, bicheiro Vinícius Drumond survived an attempt on his life when his car was hit by 30 rounds on Avenida das Américas, with three suspects arrested. These attacks reveal a recurring pattern of vehicle-targeted shootings in the region.
18/08/2025 – On Monday (18/08), Gabriel Gomes da Costa, known as “Ratomen,” was killed during a police operation in Cidade de Deus, West Zone. He was the prime suspect in the murder of Core agent José Antônio Lourenço Júnior, known as Mocotó, and was wanted under a temporary arrest warrant. According to police, Ratomen, manager of a drug sales point in Bairro 13, was armed, resisted, and was shot during the confrontation. He was taken to a local hospital, where his death was confirmed. Other traffickers also attacked police, but no officers were injured. Known for flaunting weapons and money online, Ratomen was considered highly dangerous.
18/08/2025 – On Monday (18/08), Andressa de Almeida Rosa Cezário, 24, mother of a 6-year-old, was shot twice in Praça Vilar Guanabara, Inhoaíba, Campo Grande, West Zone, after an argument with a man. She was taken to a hospital but died of her injuries. The Capital Homicide Division is investigating the case as feminicide. Within 48 hours, she became the second woman killed in the region in crimes linked to domestic violence: on 17 August, 22-year-old Sther Barroso dos Santos was beaten after refusing to leave a party with a trafficker in Senador Camará and later died. From January to July 2025, 53 women were victims of feminicide in Rio state, 45 of them in the metropolitan area, matching 2024 figures. In 2024, 97 women were killed in such crimes, averaging one death every 3.7 days.
18/08/2025 – On Monday morning (18/08), a police operation in Morro do Dendê, Ilha do Governador, led to the seizure of rifles, grenades, drugs, and cash. The clashes caused heavy disruption in the area: gunfire was reported around 09:00, Avenida Paranapuã was blocked shortly after, and buses were hijacked and used as barricades. Some shops in Cacuia closed in the morning but later reopened under reinforced policing. The unrest affected access routes near Galeão International Airport.
20/08/2025 – On Wednesday (20/08), three suspects were arrested in Rio de Janeiro during Operation Lex Falsa, carried out by the Civil Police of Rio in support of Santa Catarina authorities. The operation executed arrest and search warrants in Ilha do Governador, Cabo Frio, and Campos dos Goytacazes. Investigators found that individuals and companies were impersonating Santa Catarina lawyers, using real or forged court documents to demand fictitious procedural fees, promising clients the release of funds. The scheme misled numerous victims across states. The OAB-RJ president praised the operation, stressing that the fraud harms not only individuals and businesses but also the legal profession itself.
20/08/2025 – On Wednesday (20/08), municipal security agents from Seop arrested two men accused of assaulting German tourists in Copacabana, South Zone. The victims were stripped of all belongings, including their clothes, and found walking naked and frightened on Rua Santa Clara. The suspects were later caught in a pharmacy using the tourists’ stolen cards and cell phones. Both were identified by the victims, and the stolen clothes and belongings were recovered. They were taken to the Tourist Police Station.
20/08/2025 – A woman was shot 13 times in an attempted execution on Wednesday (20/08), in Realengo, West Zone. She had just entered a car outside her home when a hooded man, dressed in black and masked, opened fire. The victim was taken to the hospital in critical condition. A man and two children with her escaped unharmed. The 33rd Police Precinct is investigating to identify the shooter and the motive.
20/08/2025 – On Wednesday (20/08), four armed men stormed a building on Rua Oswaldo Cruz in Flamengo, South Zone, on the same floor where the state Secretary of Government lives. The criminals held doormen and residents at gunpoint, claiming to have a specific target, but fled before reaching the elevators. They abandoned their car in Botafogo and escaped on foot. Civil Police carried out searches in the area, examined the vehicle and building, and are investigating the case as an attempted home invasion.
21/08/2025 – On Thursday night (21/08), the Majestic Hotel in Copacabana, South Zone, was robbed by an armed man who entered the reception, threatened three employees, and stole a cellphone along with cash from a drawer. Security cameras captured the suspect clumsily trying to cover his face while dropping objects from his backpack before fleeing. The hotel had no security guard on duty, and the case was registered at the 13th Police Precinct (Ipanema).
22/08/2025 – On Friday (22/08), police arrested a suspect in Jacarepaguá, West Zone, accused of ordering the attempted execution of a 36-year-old woman who was shot 13 times in Jardim Sulacap on August 20 while leaving home with her husband and daughters. Investigators say he acted as a loan shark and had repeatedly threatened her over a debt of more than R$7,000, even warning on the eve of the attack that she would receive “visits” if payment was not made. He admitted to lending money and making threats but denied involvement in the shooting. Security cameras recorded the ambush, showing a masked gunman firing repeatedly before fleeing in a black sedan.
23/08/2025 – On Saturday morning (23/08), residents of Curicica, West Zone, recorded an intense shootout in the Dois Irmãos community, with videos capturing nearly a minute of uninterrupted gunfire. Police said they had already been called to the same location the previous night for similar reports, but found nothing at that time. After being alerted again, the 18th BPM reinforced policing and carried out searches in the community, though no suspects were located.
23/08/2025 – On Saturday (23/08), a heatwave that brought 36.2°C and packed Rio’s South Zone beaches ended with a major police operation against thefts and vandalism. Nearly 1,000 officers were deployed in Operation Verão, leading to the detention of over 170 people, including 150 minors caught stealing and damaging property on a bus leaving Copacabana. Identified by passengers, they were taken to police stations along with 20 other suspects detained across the city.
24/08/2025 – On Sunday (24/08), a police operation in the Muquiço favela, in Guadalupe, North Rio, left three suspects dead. According to the Military Police, officers from the 9th Battalion were fired upon while attempting to stop a vehicle and responded, finding three wounded men who later died. Three pistols were seized, and two stolen cars were recovered. The case is being investigated by the Homicide Division, while videos shared online show residents criticizing the police for their handling of the bodies and accusing them of misconduct.
24/08/2025 – On Sunday (24/08), three fugitives from Mato Grosso were arrested by Military Police in Copacabana, South Zone, as they returned from the beach. Located in their hotel room by officers of the 19th BPM, they are alleged members of the Red Command and remain under investigation for directing criminal operations from a distance. One of them is accused of organizing a 2023 mass escape from the Ahmenon Lemos Dantas Rehabilitation Center in Várzea Grande, where six inmates fled. At the time of arrest, one suspect destroyed his phone to block access to stored information.
24/08/2025 – On Sunday (24/08), police from the 5th DP arrested a 22-year-old man in Lapa, central Rio, after he was caught with drugs and attempted to flee. During the arrest, he offered officers R$30,000 to be released, leading to additional charges of active corruption alongside drug trafficking and criminal association. Freed from prison only 12 days earlier, he is accused of managing the drug trade in Lapa on behalf of a relative who leads a faction in Morro dos Prazeres. Police say this evidence ties with another Red Command leader who controls drug sales in abandoned buildings in the area. Both leaders are linked to homicides and have multiple outstanding arrest warrants.
24/08/2025 – During a BOPE operation early Sunday (24/08) in the Complexo do Chapadão, Rio’s North Zone, a woman was struck by a stray bullet while traffickers fired at police. According to the Military Police, officers did not return fire at that moment. She was rescued by the agents and taken to the hospital. The operation aimed to curb territorial disputes between criminal groups. When officers moved to assist the victim, they came under renewed gunfire, responded, and the attackers fled. No arrests or seizures were reported.
25/08/2025 – Four men were arrested on Monday (25/08) after arriving at Carlos Chagas Hospital, North Zone, with an accomplice wounded during an attempted robbery of an off-duty police officer in Praça Seca, West Zone. According to police, the officer was intercepted by the group while driving, forced to hand over his phone at gunpoint, but then drew his weapon and shot one of the assailants in the leg. The suspects fled but were later identified at the hospital, where the injured man confessed to the crime. A stolen vehicle used in the assault was also seized.
26/08/2025 – On Tuesday (26/08), police launched a major operation in several North Zone communities of Rio, including Serrinha, Juramento, Fubá, Campinho, and parts of Penha, to curb the Red Command’s expansion toward the West Zone. The action sparked heavy shootouts, leaving a BOPE sergeant shot in the leg and a 49-year-old taxi driver hit by a stray bullet near Carioca Shopping. Authorities reported three arrests, the seizure of a rifle and drugs, recovery of stolen vehicles, and destruction of 18 sniper structures. The clashes, part of the broader “Operação Contenção,”.
26/08/2025 – On Tuesday night (26/08), five members of samba school Portela, including composers and supporting musicians arriving from Belo Horizonte and Manaus, were robbed between Pavuna and Barros Filho, North Zone. Criminals on motorcycles blocked their car and stole the vehicle, money, jewelry, cell phones, and musical instruments, causing losses of over R$70,000. Despite the violent threat, no one was injured. The victims received assistance at Portela’s headquarters in Madureira and filed a police report. The school confirmed they will still participate in the samba-enredo eliminations scheduled for Wednesday and issued a statement repudiating the attack and offering full support to the group.
27/08/2025 – On Wednesday (27/08), police launched a second consecutive day of operations in Morro do Fubá, Campinho, North Zone, targeting members of the Red Command (CV) and the Third Pure Command (TCP) involved in territorial disputes. The 9th BPM seeks to curb criminal activity, remove barricades, and ensure access for residents and essential services. The day before, three suspects were arrested during wider raids in the area, when a taxi driver was hit by a stray bullet and a BOPE sergeant wounded in the leg. Residents report intense clashes with homes hit by gunfire. The operations follow six months of DRE-Cap investigations showing the gangs also fight over control of local service markets in addition to drug trafficking.
TRENDS & ADVICE
- Mass robberies and thefts in tourist spots are some of the most notorious security risks in Rio de Janeiro, especially in the city’s South Zone.
- When moving through crowded places and their vicinities, visitors should be cautious and refrain from exposing valuables.
- Avoid any display of wealth (jewelry, cell phones), but always carry a small amount of money (R$50) to hand over to muggers.
- In case of robbery: cooperate, do not try to run after the assailant as he or she might not be alone or turn violent.
- Rio is famous for its favelas, and most are affected by the presence of gangs. Disputes for territory between rivals and police operations lead to gunfights. Therefore, these locations should never be visited.
- Shootouts may also occur outside such communities, in this case:
- Lay on the ground and seek cover behind a solid object, such as the engine block.
- When it is safe to do so, find the nearest building, stay away from any windows, and do not move unless you are sure that the gunfire has ended.
- Shootouts may also occur outside such communities, in this case:
- Avoid walking alone in poorly lit areas or beaches after nightfall. Avoid walking/biking through tunnels, especially Túnel do Leme.
- As sexual aggressions are on the rise, women should pay special attention to the environments where they go alone and avoid empty and dark places.
- During a night out, never accept offers of food and beverages from strangers, and pay attention to yours, as they can add drugs to them.
- Men and women alike are targets of such crimes.
- Be always cautious, even in the areas considered safe, such as Downtown, Botafogo, Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, and Barra da Tijuca.
- Exercise caution in the Centro (downtown) during the day and avoid the area after nightfall and during the weekends, as it is relatively deserted during such periods.
- Be careful when using the GPS, as it may lead you to unsafe areas controlled by organized crime.
- Remain on the main streets and roads and avoid the rush hours.
- Prefer cooperative taxis instead of driving yourself or using a ride-sharing App.
- Stay away from any protests that normally occur in Av. Presidente Vargas, Av. Rio Branco, Praça da Cinelândia, and Av. Atlântica.
- Attention to scams that may reach you through a WhatsApp message, e-mail, SMS, or a call.
- Keep in mind useful numbers: Emergency police number (190), and Rio de Janeiro tourist Police. Phone: (21) 2332-7949
