Court accepts Rio MP’s request to prevent drug boss from returning to the state

The court decided to keep the former leader of Comando Vermelho (CV) Rogério Avelino da Silva, Rogério 157, in the Federal Penitentiary of Porto Velho, in Rondônia. The decision came after a request from the Public Ministry of the State of Rio (MPRJ). Rogério 157 has been serving his sentence since 2018 in the federal prison, however, he had obtained authorization to be transferred to the city of Rio, the newspaper reported The globe.

The MP appealed the decision of the 6th Criminal Chamber of the Rio Court of Justice (TJRJ) and obtained an injunction from the 2nd vice-presidency of the TJ, signed by judge Suely Lopes Magalhães. The drug boss’s return had been authorized amid a strong wave of violence in the state. The decision of the 6th Criminal Chamber was criticized by the executive secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Ricardo Cappelli, who did not mention names.

“In the midst of a delicate situation that the whole of Brazil is following, we received a court order to transfer a state faction leader from a federal penitentiary to Rio de Janeiro. Everyone needs to cooperate in the fight against organized crime”, said Cappelli at the social networkon the 24th.

The MPRJ argued in the appeal that “Rogério 157” is imprisoned in the federal penitentiary due to his role at the top of the criminal faction in the Rocinha community. He was sentenced to 32 years in prison for the crimes of association with drug trafficking, trafficking and active corruption, in 2018, by the 40th Criminal Court of Rio.

This evening, the governor of Rio, Cláudio Castro (PL), celebrated the decision that responded to the request of the state MP. “Rio de Janeiro achieved an important victory today with the Court’s decision to respond to our appeals to prevent the return of a dangerous drug trafficker to the Rio de Janeiro penitentiary system. The decision follows the warnings highlighted by intelligence reports from the Rio de Janeiro Security Forces about the risks of this criminal returning to our state,” he stated in the social network.

“The action of the State Public Prosecutor’s Office, which appealed to the Judiciary to guarantee this measure and ensure public order, was extremely important. Partnership and integration. Together we will win this war against crime!”, added the governor. This week, the government of Rio de Janeiro reported that it was preparing to appeal the Court of Justice’s decisions that authorized the transfer of two drug trafficking leaders from federal penitentiaries to state prisons.

The return of “Rogério 157” was avoided, but Luiz Cláudio Machado, known as Marreta, left the federal prison of Catanduva, in Paraná, and returned to Bangu 1, in Rio, on the 21st. Marreta is one of the heads of the CV and was responsible for ordering attacks on the headquarters of the Pacification Police Unit (UPPs).

This week, Rio faced days of violence and chaos when 35 buses and a train were burned, as well as cars and tires, which closed several roads in the West Zone. The criminals’ action was motivated by the death of a militiaman’s nephew. Furthermore, this month, Rio’s security forces began Operation Maré in several communities to combat crime in the region.