Deadly Gestures: Brazilian Gangs Crack Down on Hand Signs
In Brazil, where shifts in gang dynamics have created new violent hotspots, innocent bystanders are becoming victims of turf wars…
The PCC Plays Its Dirty Game in Portuguese Football
Evidence linking Brazil’s biggest organized crime network and Portuguese football highlights how sports can serve as a vehicle for illicit…
Red Command
The Red Command (Comando Vermelho – CV) is Brazil’s oldest criminal group. Created in a Rio de Janeiro prison in…
The Rise of Global Crime Networks: European Mafias in the Americas
The expansion of foreign criminal groups into Latin America has taken on a new dimension in the last decade, with…
How ‘Canteens’ Feed Crime in Brazil’s Prisons
The dismantling of the “canteen mafia,” which controlled food distribution in Rio de Janeiro’s prisons, highlights the growing presence of…
Cash and Violence: Organized Crime Fights to Control Brazil’s Municipal Vote
With the second round of Brazil’s municipal elections coming up on October 27, criminal groups are increasingly being caught using…
Modern Slavery in Brazil Is Targeting More Women, More Foreigners
Brazil has seen a surge in the number of foreign nationals and women rescued from forced labor conditions, a form…
First Capital Command – PCC
The First Capital Command (Primeiro Comando da Capital – PCC) is Brazil’s biggest and best-organized criminal network. It arose in…
Narco-Subs Sail the Caribbean
The Caribbean, historically a key region for drug trafficking, has once again become the center of attention with the seizure…
Inside the Battle for Rio de Janeiro: Red Command Versus Militias
In Rio de Janeiro, one of Brazil’s biggest and most iconic cities, the balance of power may be shifting from…