Prosecutor details torture methods used by Comando Vermelho: 'dragging with the car'

247 - The complaint filed by the Rio de Janeiro Public Prosecutor's Office (MPRJ), which served as the basis for a major police operation in the Penha and Alemão complexes, documented episodes of torture perpetrated by members of the Comando Vermelho (CV) criminal organization, with the intention of punishing accomplices and even residents. This week's police action left at least 121 dead in the capital, making it the deadliest operation in the state's history. The person responsible for directing the punishments and participating in the so-called "drug trafficking tribunals" is Juan Breno Malta Ramos Rodrigues, aka BMW.

According to the Rio de Janeiro Public Prosecutor's Office, the BMW owner "enjoys prestige and holds a high hierarchical position within the Comando Vermelho (Red Command)." "Furthermore, in the name of the violent dominance of the Comando Vermelho criminal faction, the defendant Juan Breno directs the practice of punishment and torture against residents." The report was published in... O Globo newspaper.

In one of the torture cases mentioned by the Public Prosecutor's Office, a gagged and handcuffed man is dragged by a car, wearing shorts and no shirt. "Amid screams begging for forgiveness," the target of the punishment mentions BMW several times, while the accused "makes jokes about the suffering of others, mocking the agonizing victim," the ministry stated.

Another defendant is Fagner Campos Marinho, nicknamed Bafo, identified as a soldier in the drug trafficking ring. According to the Public Prosecutor's Office, in the vicinity of the Penha Complex, he "coerced the victim, an unidentified person who was completely subdued and under his control, using violence, causing intense physical suffering, as a form of personal punishment and preventive measure."

According to the Public Prosecutor's Office, Bafo violently assaulted a partially undressed person who was lying on the ground and tied up. "The defendant recorded a video with the bloodied victim, moaning in pain, acknowledging that he was the one who tortured ('gave a massage') that person, and, immediately afterwards, asking the victim if she 'wants to die?'", the complaint stated.

"Fagner's cruelty is highlighted by his actions in torturing a tied-up and bloodied individual. Fagner asks if the victim 'wants to die soon,' and the individual, possibly due to exhaustion and the cruelty of the torture endured, stammers, seemingly accepting his execution as a way to end the suffering," reports the MPRJ (Rio de Janeiro State Public Prosecutor's Office).

Economic dominance and power

A study released last year by the Group for the Study of New Illegalities at the Federal Fluminense University (Geni/UFF) in partnership with the Fogo Cruzado Institute indicated that Comando Vermelho was the only criminal faction to expand its territory between 2022 and 2023 in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro.

According to the research, the growth was 8,4%, causing the group to surpass the militias and control 51,9% of the areas under the control of organized crime in the region. The faction recovered 242 square kilometers that had been taken by the militias in 2021. In that year, paramilitary groups controlled 46,5% of the areas, while Comando Vermelho controlled 42,9%.

According to the report "Product Tracking and Combating Organized Crime in Brazil," in 2022 alone, Comando Vermelho and PCC moved approximately R$ 146,8 billion through activities related to the sale of fuels, gold, cigarettes, and beverages.

During the same period, cocaine trafficking generated approximately R$ 15 billion. This information was published by the newspaper O Estado de S.Paulo. Like the CV, the PCC maintains a consolidated presence in more than 20 Brazilian states, highlighting the national reach of these factions.

Trajectory of Comando Vermelho

Founded in Rio de Janeiro during the 1970s, Comando Vermelho (Red Command) is recognized, along with Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), as one of the largest criminal organizations in Brazil. The group was created under the name "Falange Vermelha" (Red Phalanx) by William da Silva Lima, nicknamed "Professor," and emerged with the aim of combating torture and mistreatment in prisons. Currently, CV has a presence in more than 20 Brazilian states.

Between 1981 and 1986, the faction expanded its drug distribution network in Rio's favelas. One of the factors that fueled this expansion was the state government's decision in 1983 to suspend police operations in the communities. By 1985, Comando Vermelho already controlled about 70% of the drug sales points, consolidating its position as the main local drug trafficking group.

A rupture in 1994 altered the dynamics of crime in Rio de Janeiro. Ernaldo Pinto de Medeiros, known as Uê, murdered Orlando Jogador, then leader of the CV (Comando Vermelho) in the Complexo do Alemão, after disagreements over the management of drug trafficking. The episode resulted in the creation of the Amigos dos Amigos (ADA) faction in Morro do Adeus, and initiated a violent dispute that lasted until September 2002.

With the arrival of the Pacifying Police Units (UPPs) in Rio de Janeiro's favelas, clashes between CV and ADA decreased. Faced with a reduction in the drug trade, the two organizations ended up joining forces. Today, Complexo do Alemão and Vila Cruzeiro are considered the main strongholds of Comando Vermelho.