All About Brazil Militias

NEWS

Militias Fleece Locals for Basic Services in Rio Favelas

BRAZIL / 25 MAR 2022

In many of Rio de Janeiro's favelas, criminal organizations are setting exorbitant prices for gas cylinders, knowing that residents will have no choice but to pay up.

Brazil Tries to Reclaim Rio's Favelas - Ad Infinitum

BRAZIL / 27 JAN 2022

Residents in Rio de Janeiro's marginalized favelas are contending with yet another massive police operation promising to deliver a true state presence. That is, once the territory has been reclaimed…

Brazil Police Target Legacy of Infamous Drug Trafficker, Fernandinho Beira-Mar

BRAZIL / 17 JAN 2022

The death of a top Red Command leader near Rio de Janeiro raises questions about the success of coordinated attempts to weaken one of Brazil’s toughest gangs, both materially and…

Killing of Brazil's Top Militia Leader Raises More Questions Than it Answers

BRAZIL / 16 JUN 2021

Rio de Janeiro’s foremost militia leader has been gunned down by police, potentially shattering the belief that militias in the city were protected due to connections with authorities. But was…

Gatonet - The Illegal TV Connections Bankrolling Militias in Rio

BRAZIL / 10 JUN 2021

By undercutting legal streaming apps, militia groups are providing an illegal television service to millions of households in Brazil, earning them a fortune and bankrolling other criminal activities.

Could Militia-Red Command Feud Explain Manaus Violence in Brazil?

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 a top drug leader. But these attacks may be the…

Escritório do Crime

BRAZIL GROUPS / 15 FEB 2021

Escritório do Crime (Office of Crime) is one of the largest and most powerful militia groups in Brazil’s second-largest city, Rio de Janeiro.

Rio Militias and Their Complex Empire of Legal Businesses

BRAZIL / 8 JAN 2021

As part of a mounting campaign going after criminal finances, police in Rio de Janeiro have asked courts to seize control of legal businesses used by militia groups to launder…

GameChangers 2020: 3 Ways Criminal Groups Overcame Coronavirus

BRAZIL MILITIAS / 29 DEC 2020

As COVID-19 threatened the well-being of the populations they depend on for criminal income, it was largely in the interest of criminal groups to try and keep the pandemic under…

Why Have Political Assassinations More Than Doubled in Brazil?

BRAZIL / 24 NOV 2020

Political assassinations have marred successive Brazilian elections but the pace of these killings has more than doubled in 2020, with the power of militia groups blamed for much of the…

Militia Tentacles Extend to Rural Areas of Brazil

BRAZIL / 16 AUG 2019

New details about militias in Brazil’s rural areas reveal how these criminal groups have spread rapidly in strategic regions around the country.

Despite Recent Arrests, Rio’s Militias Are Here to Stay

BRAZIL / 12 JUL 2019

Police in Rio de Janeiro have targeted one of the city's oldest and largest militias, but the conditions that first gave rise to these groups decades ago and allowed them…

Militias Become Luxury Real Estate Barons in Rio de Janeiro

BRAZIL / 23 APR 2019

A series of revelations about how militias in Rio de Janeiro are laundering large quantities of money through illegal real estate shines a light on the impunity with which these…

Frequently Used Tags

About InSight Crime

ABOUT US
THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela's Cocaine Revolution Met With Uproar

6 MAY 2022

On May 4, InSight Crime launched its latest investigation, Venezuela’s Cocaine Revolution¸ accompanied by a virtual panel on its findings. The takeaways from this three-year effort, including the fact that Venezuela…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Drug Trafficking Investigation and InDepth Gender Coverage

29 APR 2022

On May 4, InSight Crime will be publishing The Cocaine Revolution in Venezuela, a groundbreaking investigation into how the Venezuelan government regulates the cocaine trade in the country. An accompanying event,…

THE ORGANIZATION

InDepth Coverage of Juan Orlando Hernández

22 APR 2022

Ever since Juan Orlando Hernández was elected president of Honduras in 2014, InSight Crime has provided coverage of every twist and turn during his rollercoaster time in office, amid growing…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela's Cocaine Revolution

15 APR 2022

On May 4th, InSight Crime will publish a groundbreaking investigation on drug trafficking in Venezuela. A product of three years of field research across the country, the study uncovers cocaine production in…

LA ORGANIZACIÓN

Widespread Coverage of InSight Crime MS13 Investigation

8 APR 2022

In a joint investigation with La Prensa Gráfica, InSight Crime recently revealed that four of the MS13’s foremost leaders had been quietly released from…

ABOUT US