Cases of drunk driving increased by 18% in 2024, reaching 1,230 offenses between January and September, compared to 1,040 during the same period in 2023, according to the Public Security Institute. On the night of March 17-18, 2025, an intoxicated driver crashed into a police vehicle at Exit 5 of the Linha Amarela in Del Castilho, killing a PM sergeant and injuring another officer. The perpetrator, a corporal in the army, was arrested.
03/03/2025 – A man on a motorcycle invaded a sidewalk on Rua General Góis Monteiro, in Botafogo, this Carnival, and stole the cell phone of a customer who was sitting at one of the bar’s tables, on the sidewalk. The motorcyclist snatched the phone from the young woman’s hands, who ran, along with her companion, after the thief. Security cameras captured the scene, which allegedly happened on the night of last Monday (3). Data from the Public Security Institute (ISP) reveal that Botafogo is one of the neighborhoods in the South Zone of Rio where this type of crime occurs the most. Throughout 2024, 8,472 cell phone thefts were recorded in the area of the 2nd BPM. Considering only the month of January, this year the police became aware of 710 cell phone thefts in this area during the period, compared to 537 in the same month of 2024.
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04/03/2025 – Brasilia tourist Fabrício Alves Monteiro, 28, was kidnapped by drug traffickers, tortured and killed in the city’s North Zone on Tuesday (04/03). Monteiro, who was in the city to enjoy Carnival with a cousin and a friend, was approached by criminals after following a GPS to a party and taken to the Palmeirinha community in Honório Gurgel, controlled by the Comando Vermelho (CV). Witnesses reported that he was brutally tortured and burned inside his vehicle.
05/03/2025 – A 34-year-old man died after being attacked with a glass bottle during a carnival block in Campo Grande, in the West Zone of Rio, on the morning of Tuesday (5). The attack occurred in an area known as Glicínia. Witnesses reported to the Civil Police that Pedro Henrique was attacked by the ex-husband of the woman who was with him. According to reports, the suspect arrived at the block and became aggressive towards his ex-partner. Pedro Henrique tried to intervene, which caused a fight.
08/03/2025 – Three men identified as members of a gang that carried out thefts of luxury vehicles in the South Zone of Rio were arrested on Sunday (08/03), in Botafogo. Agents from the 2nd BPM (Botafogo) located the suspects at the moment in which one of them tried to steal a Mitsubishi L200 pickup truck.
08/03/2025 – Two men were shot dead in the early hours of Saturday (08/03) in Madureira, in the North Zone of Rio. According to news outlets, the crime took place during a football match on Rua Dona Clara. The person responsible for the shooting has not yet been identified.
09/03/2025 – A 35-year-old man, known as the “red-shirt thief”, suspected of multiple armed robberies in stores across Rio’s South Zone, was arrested on Sunday (09/03), outside a church in Del Castilho, North Zone. He was found carrying a stolen cellphone from Copacabana.
09/03/2025 – A street vendor stabbed another merchant with a butcher knife during a dispute over the price of coconut water at Aterro do Flamengo, South Zone, on Sunday (09/03), around 10:30. The victim had first struck his rival before being chased and stabbed twice. The attacker was caught by agents of the Segurança Presente program.
10/03/2025 – Three armed men stormed the Estúdios Globo in Curicica, West Zone, on Monday (10/03), stealing employees’ phones before fleeing in a car. The attack took place in an isolated area during a police operation against drug trafficking nearby.
10/03/2025 – Two passengers were injured by glass shards after a BRT bus was hit by gunfire on Cândido Benício Street, between Praça Seca and Tanque stations in Jacarepaguá, West Zone, on Monday (10/03), around 12:30. According to the police, armed criminal groups were clashing in the nearby communities of Caixa D’Água and Renascer at the time of the shooting.
10/03/2025 – A 23-year-old Norwegian man, visibly agitated according to witnesses, was caught after he vandalized cars, motorcycles, and signs in Praça Demétrio Ribeiro, in Copacabana, South Zone, on Monday (10/03). He also destroyed a lamppost and attacked a moving taxi before being subdued.
11/03/2025 – A bus from the Rio 2 condominium (Barra da Tijuca) was robbed by two armed men on the Linha Amarela, near Jacarezinho, North Zone, on Tuesday (11/03), around 20:15. The criminals stole phones and jewelry from passengers before fleeing.
11/03/2025 – A man was arrested on Tuesday (11/03) in Inhoaíba, West Zone, for robbery and extortion of victims lured through a dating app for the LGBTQ+ community. He was part of a criminal organization that attracted targets to hotels in Lapa and the South Zone before threatening, tying them up, and forcing them to make bank transactions. One victim lost more than R$25,000.
12/03/2025 – A telecommunications company employee was caught stealing copper cables on Avenida Princesa Isabel in Copacabana, South Zone, on Wednesday (12/03). He was carrying around 10 kg of wires in his bag when he was spotted by an inspector from his own company.
12/03/2025 – The Civil Police conducted an operation on Wednesday (12/03), in the Complexo do Lins, North Zone, targeting members of a criminal faction involved in the death of military doctor Gisele Mendes de Souza e Mello, assassinated on 15 December 2024. Twenty-three arrest warrants and seventeen search and seizure warrants were issued, and one person was arrested.
12/03/2025 – The mother and stepfather of an 11-month-old baby were arrested on Wednesday (12/03), in Gávea, South Zone, accused of torture and attempted homicide on a minor. The child, hospitalized since 27 February with fractured ribs, a liver laceration, and internal bleeding, had allegedly suffered domestic violence. The couple claimed the baby had fallen during a bath, but doctors found the injuries inconsistent with an accident.
12/03/2025 – A 45-year-old man was arrested in Tijuca, North Zone, on Wednesday (12/03), for possessing and distributing around 1,000 files of child sexual abuse material. Investigators found that he had shared the content online between 2023 and 2024. The arrest was part of Operation Proteção Integral, a nationwide crackdown on online child exploitation crimes.
13/03/2025 – The Civil Police launched Operation Espoliador on Thursday (13/03), across the state of Rio to combat theft, murder after robbery, and fencing. More than 700 officers have been mobilized, and 174 suspects were arrested, including criminal faction leaders. Investigations reveal that organized crime finances its activities through these offenses.
13/03/2025 – A man was killed on Thursday (13/03) during a military police operation in the Complexo da Maré, North Zone. His group opened fire on BOPE officers near Vila dos Pinheiros before attempting to escape by boat from a pier under the Linha Vermelha. According to the police, he was involved in the murder of two officers in June 2024.
13/03/2025 – A 52-year-old street vendor was killed by a stray bullet during a military police operation in the Complexo do Chapadão, in Costa Barros, North Zone, on Thursday (13/03). He was caught in the crossfire between police and criminals while bringing lunch to his wife. His death sparked protests, with buses and trucks used as barricades on Avenida Chrisóstomo Pimentel de Oliveira.
13/03/2025 – Civil Police officers from the 5th DP (Mem de Sá) arrested a man on Thursday (13/03), in a residence in Sepetiba, West Zone, during an operation targeting a criminal group involved in the “Boa Noite Cinderela” scam (Spike drink scam) in Lapa. The investigation uncovered a scheme where criminals posed as escorts to lure victims, mainly tourists, into bars and nightclubs. They drugged their drinks with sedatives before robbing them and making unauthorized bank transactions. The arrested suspect was linked to at least two cases, with financial losses totaling R$ 29,000. Police are continuing efforts to track down other members of the gang.
14/03/2025 – A Spanish couple attempted to smuggle nearly 10 kilograms of cocaine through Galeão International Airport, in the early hours of Friday (14/03). The drugs, worth approximately R$ 1.16 million, were hidden in their checked luggage. Customs agents discovered the narcotics during a routine inspection, leading to the suspects’ arrest and the seizure of the illicit substance.
16/03/2025 – A rideshare vehicle’s dashboard camera captured an armed robbery on Avenida Brasil, in Guadalupe, North Zone, on Sunday (16/03). Three criminals on two motorcycles ambushed the driver and passengers, forcibly removing them from the car. One of the assailants took control of the vehicle, which was recovered the same day near the Gogó da Ema favela.
16/03/2025 – Civil Police officers from the 5th DP (Mem de Sá), in coordination with the Tourist Support Police Station, carried out an operation on Sunday (16/03), arresting a woman in a motel in the North Zone. She was identified as part of a scheme targeting tourists, drugging victims before robbing them.
17/03/2025 – A military police operation conducted on Monday (17/03), in the Gardênia Azul community, West Zone, led to an armed confrontation after agents from the BOPE were targeted. One man was shot dead, and five suspects were arrested. Police seized a rifle, a handgun, and two ballistic vests.
17/03/2025 – A 20-year-old man was caught threatening people near the entrance of the Sugarloaf Cable Car in Urca, South Zone, on Monday night (17/03). Armed with a replica firearm and a switchblade, he approached victims on Avenida Pasteur, causing panic. Tourism police officers were alerted and arrested him.
17/03/2025 – Police intercepted a truck carrying over a ton of stolen copper wires and utility cables in Caju, North Zone, on Monday (17/03). Officers from the 14th DP (Leblon) identified the vehicle as it was being loaded inside the Mineira community and tracked it to a highway. The cargo, allegedly stolen from public utility companies, was destined for resale in Queimados and later to a steel plant in São Paulo. Two men in the truck were arrested.
18/03/2025 – Three suspects were killed, and another was injured during a confrontation with military police on Tuesday (18/03), in the Barbante community, Ilha do Governador, North Zone. The shootout began when officers conducting patrols against drug trafficking were attacked by armed men. Authorities seized firearms, ammunition, radios, and grenades.
18/03/2025 – A man was injured during a confrontation with police in the Final Feliz community, within the Complexo da Pedreira in Pavuna, North Zone, on Tuesday (18/03). Officers from the 41st BPM were conducting routine patrols when they encountered armed criminals, leading to a shootout. The suspect was found in possession of guns, two radios, and drugs.
19/03/2025 – On Tuesday (19/03), two women stole R$ 4,834 worth of underwear from a store in a shopping mall on Avenida Dom Hélder Câmara, in Cachambi, North Zone. They took dozens of panties and bras, along with several packs of chewing gum. Military police intercepted them as they were leaving the shopping mall.
19/03/2025 – On Wednesday (19/03), military police launched a new operation in the Complexo do Chapadão, in Costa Barros, North Zone, aiming to remove barricades and obstacles placed by criminals. The intervention follows a series of police actions in the area, including recent confrontations and protests. Simultaneously, tactical units carried out operations in the Manguinhos, Mandela, and Varginha communities, seizing drugs and preventing vehicle and cargo theft.
19/03/2025 – Two civil police officers were injured by a grenade explosion during an attempted robbery in the Anil neighborhood, West Zone, early Wednesday (19/03). The victims were driving when criminals threw the explosive inside. The officers exchanged gunfire, but the grenade detonated, and the assailants fled.
19/03/2025 – A shootout between civil police officers and criminals in the Furquim Mendes community on Wednesday (19/03), caused panic among students at a state school in Jardim América, North Zone. During the gunfire, students at Colégio Estadual Pedro Fernandes took cover in a hallway, as seen in social media videos. The incident occurred during a police operation targeting cargo theft.
19/03/2025 – Federal Police launched Operation Importunação on Wednesday (19/03), targeting the illegal sale of personal data from retirees and pensioners. Investigators uncovered a scheme in which personal information was sold to financial institutions and banking agents, leading to mass telemarketing calls offering loans and financial products.
19/03/2025 – On Wednesday (19/03), the Bibi Vogel Family Clinic in Engenho da Rainha, North Zone, was invaded and vandalized. According to the city hall, a patient dissatisfied with the service assaulted a nurse and threatened a doctor who tried to intervene. Witnesses reported that she later returned with armed men and destroyed two consulting rooms.
20/03/2025 – Federal Police launched Operation Cash Courier in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday (20/03), targeting a weapons trafficking network that allegedly sent 2,000 rifles from Miami to favelas controlled by Red Command (CV). The investigation focuses on Josias João do Nascimento, a retired federal police officer identified as the mastermind behind the scheme, alongside Frederick Barbieri, previously convicted in the U.S. for international arms trafficking.
20/03/2025 – The Civil Police conducted an operation against a van theft gang in Vila Aliança, West Zone, on Thursday (20/03). During the intervention, criminals opened fire at officers and set up burning barricades. A helicopter pilot from the CORE Air Police Service was shot in the head while flying. The operation targeted a network that dismantled and resold stolen vehicle parts.
20/03/2025 – The Military Police carried out an operation in the Complexo do Lins, North Zone, on Thursday (20/03), targeting criminal activities in the area. During the intervention, officers were met with gunfire and retaliated, resulting in the deaths of two suspects, including the individual identified as the shooter who killed Navy doctor Gisele Mendes de Souza e Mello inside the Naval Marcílio Dias Hospital in December.
20/03/2025 – A white van has been used by criminals to steal motorcycles in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro. On Thursday (20/03), at least three motorbikes were stolen in the Greater Tijuca area, according to investigations by the 20th Police Station (Vila Isabel). Security footage shows suspects loading motorcycles into the van’s trunk in neighborhoods like Andaraí and Tijuca. Police have identified three suspects and continue investigating.
20/03/2025 – A gym located just 25 meters from the 17th Police Station (São Cristóvão), on Rua São Cristóvão, North Zone, was robbed in the early hours of Thursday (20/03). Security footage shows a man breaking into the gym, stealing a water pump and a cell phone, and damaging a door. The alarm system was triggered, prompting the intruder to flee.
20/03/2025 – On Thursday (20/03), two men were arrested in Rio Comprido, North Zone of Rio, for threatening families and forcing them out of their homes on Rua Sampaio Viana while posing as drug traffickers. The suspects, who were armed, were identified through security camera footage. The events began on 2 February.
21/03/2025 – A man was arrested on Friday (21/03), in Sampaio, North Zone, for illegally selling weapons and ammunition to criminal factions. He used his status as a Collector, Sport Shooter, and Hunter (CAC) to purchase large quantities of rifles, pistols, magazines, and ammunition, which were then distributed to gangs. Within one year, he had acquired 125 rifle magazines, 40 pistol magazines, and 60,000 rounds.
21/03/2025 – A 16-year-old boy was shot and seriously injured on Friday night (21/03), near the Jambalaia housing complex in Curicica, West Zone. According to witnesses, two armed men exited a car and fired at people nearby, hitting the teenager before fleeing. The police are investigating the attack.
21/03/2025 – A man was killed with a barbecue machete during a fight in Praça Henrique Lavoie Júnior, in Irajá, North Zone, on Friday night (21/03). His son and a friend were also stabbed and injured. The attacker fled.
22/03/2025 – The Military Police arrested two men identified as drug trafficking bosses in the Complexo da Pedreira, North Zone, on Saturday morning (22/03). The agents also seized three rifles. Agents from the 41st BPM were attacked by drug traffickers while carrying out an operation in the region. There was a shootout.
22/03/2025 – A military police officer was shot and killed on Saturday afternoon (22/03), on Rua Paulo Viana, inside the Faz Quem Quer community in Rocha Miranda, North Zone. According to witnesses, he was recognized by criminals while following a GPS and had mistakenly entered the favela.
22/03/2025 – A man was arrested on Saturday (22/03), in Copacabana, South Zone, for posing as a doctor using stolen documents. According to police, he used the identity and medical diploma of his ex-boyfriend to work in Minas Gerais for over a decade. The fraud was discovered after suspicious conduct at a hospital, leading to an investigation and eventual arrest.
23/03/2025 – Two men were arrested on Sunday (23/03), for committing a “retained card” scam in bank branches in Ilha do Governador, North Zone. They installed a fraudulent device in ATMs to capture customer data and offered fake assistance using a cellphone posing as bank support. The suspects were caught by civil police as they exited a second bank branch in the Portuguesa neighborhood.
23/03/2025 – A mototaxi driver was stabbed to death inside his girlfriend’s home in the Proença Rosa favela, in Barros Filho, North Zone, on Sunday (23/03). According to witnesses, the couple argued before the victim shouted, “Not the knife!” The suspect later turned herself in and was arrested.
23/03/2025 – Early Sunday morning (23/03), criminals broke into an event set up warehouse in Ramos, North Zone, despite the presence of security cameras. They stole electronics, tools, and equipment used for ceremonies, using the company’s truck to transport the stolen items. The vehicle was later found in Jacarezinho thanks to its tracker.
24/03/2025 – On Monday (24/03), a former military police officer was arrested in the Muzema community, West Zone. He is accused of training drug traffickers for the Red Command (CV) and laundering nearly R$600,000 in two months through a fake security company. He allegedly took control of several buildings in Itanhangá and Rio das Pedras by violently evicting residents using heavy weapons. Investigators also linked him to two murders in the area.
24/03/2025 – A man was caught selling cocaine and crack on the streets of Lapa, in downtown Rio de Janeiro, on Monday (24/03). Police found him with a large quantity of drugs at the scene. The trafficking took place in broad daylight on a public street.
24/03/2025 – Two days after the murder of a military police officer, police launched an operation on Monday (24/03) in the Faz Quem Quer favela, in Rocha Miranda, North Zone. The action targeted criminal groups attempting to expand territorial control and suppress vehicle theft in the area. No arrests, seizures, or injuries were reported.
24/03/2025 – A Chilean couple was violently assaulted during a robbery on Monday night (24/03), while walking through Aterro do Flamengo in Rio’s South Zone. The attackers, armed with knives, stabbed one victim in the leg and back and beat the other before fleeing with their belongings. On Tuesday (25/03), police arrested a 26-year-old man near the scene, who was identified by the victims.
25/03/2025 – During the early hours of Tuesday (25/03), heavily armed criminals from Morro São João (Engenho Novo), dominated by the Red Command (CV), attempted to invade Morro dos Macacos (Vila Isabel), dominated by the Third Pure Command (TCP), sparking an intense shootout. In the morning, gang members hijacked five buses on Rua Barão do Bom Retiro, Engenho Novo, using them as barricades to block police access.
25/03/2025 – An 81-year-old woman and her 40-year-old son were arrested on Tuesday (25/03), in Jacarepaguá, West Zone, for extorting a 65-year-old woman. According to police, the suspects forced the victim to withdraw money and take out loans at an ATM in Cachambi, North Zone. The victim was approached under pretenses and coerced into a car; her belongings were also stolen. A third suspect, another elderly woman, remains at large.
25/03/2025 – A woman was arrested on Tuesday (25/03), at Rio’s main bus terminal, in downtown Rio, while carrying a “Roni kit” that converts a pistol into an automatic weapon. Police officers from the Tourist Patrol Battalion (BPTur) stopped the woman after she appeared nervous, prompting a search of her luggage. Inside, they found the conversion device, which she claimed was being transported to Espírito Santo.
26/03/2025 – On Wednesday (26/03), civil police in Rio de Janeiro carried out 10 search and seizure warrants in Brás de Pina, North Zone, targeting a militia-linked money laundering scheme in Operation Pecunia Sanguinis. Investigators found that a taxi driver laundered R$ 1.5 million for the group in just six months, with part of the money traced directly to the militia leader. In total, the scheme is believed to have laundered at least R$ 10 million.
26/03/2025 – A man was caught committing an obscene act by masturbating inside his car with the windows down, parked in front of a school in Barra da Tijuca, West Zone, on Wednesday (26/03). The act was witnessed by a resident, who alerted the police. According to authorities, another witness recognized the vehicle, claiming the man had been seen parked in the same location on several occasions. The suspect was found still at the scene and was arrested.
27/03/2025 – On Thursday (27/03), a taxi driver in Rio de Janeiro’s South Zone attempted to defraud a female passenger using a tampered card machine. The fare, which was supposed to be R$60, was altered to R$6,000 on the manipulated device. When the woman noticed the discrepancy and refused to pay, the driver allegedly threatened her with a firearm. She managed to escape and reported the incident to the police. The man was arrested shortly afterward near Jardim de Alah, in Leblon.
27/03/2025 – On Wednesday night (27/03), two men suspected of motorcycle theft were violently beaten by a group of people on Avenida Nossa Senhora de Copacabana, in Copacabana, South Zone. The suspects were punched, kicked, and stomped until police arrived to break up the assault. After receiving medical attention, both were taken to the 13th Police Station (Ipanema).
27/03/2025 – An armed robbery was caught on video in broad daylight on Rua Gonzaga Bastos, in Vila Isabel, North Zone, on Wednesday (27/03). A man alone on a motorcycle used a pistol to threaten a driver who stopped at a traffic light and stole his phone. The incident was filmed by a passenger in a nearby vehicle.
TRENDS & ADVICE
- During summer months, mass robberies and thefts in tourist spots become the most prevalent security risks in Rio de Janeiro, especially in the city’s South Zone.
- Crowded beaches and its vicinities should be avoided.
- 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.
- As sexual aggressions are on the rise, women should pay special attention to the environments where they go to, avoid empty and dark places.
- During a night out, never accept offers (food and beverage) from strangers, as they can put some drugs in.
- 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 they 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
