Police Arrest Comando Vermelho 'Number Two' Near Maracanã

Overview

• Edenison Luiz Moura de Melo, known as 'Chorão' and described by police as the Comando Vermelho’s second-in-command in Rio Grande do Norte, was detained near the Maracanã Stadium after being monitored by investigators in what sources reported as a Wednesday operation.
• Draco agents entered the stadium zone disguised as Flamengo fans after days of surveillance and information shared with the Polícia Civil of Rio Grande do Norte to prevent the suspect from spotting them or fleeing.
• Officers executed an outstanding arrest warrant for drug trafficking at the time of capture and took Chorão into custody to remain at the disposal of the justice system.
• Separately, the same intelligence exchange led Draco to arrest another alleged Comando Vermelho operative in Macaé who is accused of a strategic role in the faction’s armed actions, and both suspects were moved to police custody pending judicial steps.
• Authorities say the arrests highlight how members from other states use Rio de Janeiro communities such as Rocinha and Complexo do Alemão as hideouts and that tighter interstate policing could disrupt command links and escape routes used by organized-crime groups.