HomeNewsBriefBrazil Arrests Police Following Soccer Club Massacre
BRIEF

Brazil Arrests Police Following Soccer Club Massacre

BRAZIL / 11 MAY 2015 BY ARRON DAUGHERTY EN

The arrests of one current and one former police officer in connection to a recent soccer club massacre in São Paulo, Brazil add a new twist to an incident allegedly tied to the PCC criminal group. 

On May 7, Brazilian authorities arrested military police member Walter Pereira da Silva and a former member of the same branch Rodney Dias dos Santos. Investigators believe Santos planned and helped carry out the killing of eight soccer club members in April, AFP and NTN24 reported.  

On April 18, according to witnesses, gunmen entered the headquarters of Pavilhão 9, a fan group of soccer team Corinthians. The gunmen reportedly lined up and executed seven club members and wounded another who subsequently died in a hospital from gunshot injuries. 

Police have theorized that the massacre was related to a drug debt or a dispute over where drugs were to be sold, reports said. Santos has a criminal record and is allegedly involved in drug trafficking, while members of the Pavilhão 9 club are suspected of being involved in the drug trade as well as having connections to São Paulo-based criminal group First Capital Command (PCC). 

InSight Crime Analysis

The alleged involvement of a current and former member of the military police is particularly concerning given the force's checkered reputation. A 2014 report found that military police had killed over 10,000 people in São Paulo state since 1995. The report included allegations of extrajudicial killings and found that nearly 1,900 of the killings that occurred during the period were committed by off-duty officers. These latest arrests raise questions about whether or not a number of other past military police killings could have been drug-related as well. 

SEE ALSO: PCC News and Profile

The incident also highlights the degree of control the PCC exerts over drug trafficking in São Paulo. According to some reports, the PCC is suspected of having ordered the massacre as a message to other soccer clubs with whom it conducts drug business. If true, this indicates not only that the PCC may have former and current military police members on its payroll, but that the criminal group also felt powerful enough to carry out such a high-profile incident regardless of the potential fallout from authorities. 

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

ARGENTINA / 25 OCT 2022

Bolivia's cocaine trade is on the up. Originally a coca leaf cultivator, Bolivia has moved to cocaine production.

BRAZIL / 2 DEC 2021

InSight Crime looks at four recent environmental crises in Brazil, each showcasing a different side of the disaster in the…

BRAZIL / 9 JUN 2021

Manaus, the economic heart of Brazil’s Amazon, has come under siege from the Red Command gang after the killing of…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

All Eyes on Ecuador

2 JUN 2023

Our coverage of organized crime in Ecuador continues to be a valuable resource for international and local news outlets. Internationally, Reuters cited our 2022 Homicide Round-Up,…

WORK WITH US

Open Position: Social Media and Engagement Strategist

27 MAY 2023

InSight Crime is looking for a Social Media and Engagement Strategist who will be focused on maintaining and improving InSight Crime’s reputation and interaction with its audiences through publishing activities…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Receives Great Reception

27 MAY 2023

Several of InSight Crime’s most recent articles about Venezuela have been well received by regional media. Our article on Venezuela’s colectivos expanding beyond their political role to control access to…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime's Chemical Precursor Report Continues

19 MAY 2023

For the second week in a row, our investigation into the flow of precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs in Mexico has been cited by multiple regional media…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Chemical Precursor Report Widely Cited

THE ORGANIZATION / 12 MAY 2023

We are proud to see that our recently published investigation into the supply chain of chemical precursors feeding Mexico’s synthetic drug production has been warmly received.