Find out who Zinho is, the militia leader in Rio who negotiated with the PF to surrender

Luís Antônio da Silva Braga, known as Zinho, leader of the largest militia in Rio de Janeiro, handed himself in to the Federal Police this Sunday (24), serving 12 arrest warrants issued against him since 2018. After negotiation with the PF and the Secretariat of Public Security, Zinho left the streets of the West Zone, under the control of his militia, and is now imprisoned in the Bangu 1 prison in Gericinó, in the North Zone of Rio.

The state government released a statement calling Zinho “Rio’s number 1 enemy”, a description celebrated by governor Cláudio Castro (PL-RJ)

“This is another victory for the police and the security plan, but also for society. The dismantling of these criminal groups with arrests, seizures and financial blockade and the arrest of this mafioso prove that we are on the right path,” he stated.

The Public Ministry pointed out that Zinho avoided using chat apps for fear of being tracked, using an accomplice called Andrei Santos de Melo, known as Cansado or Closing, as his “errand boy”.

In addition to Zinho, other names were identified as leaders of the militia, such as his nephew Matheus da Silva Rezende, known as Faustão or Teteus, who was killed by the Civil Police in October this year, resulting in reprisals with 35 vehicles set on fire.

Before Zinho, the leadership of the militia was held by his brothers Carlos Alexandre da Silva Braga, known as Carlinhos Três Pontes, who died in 2017, and Wellington da Silva Braga, known as Ecko, who died in 2021.

Zinho is accused of several crimes, including the order to kill Jerônimo Guimarães Filho, Jerominho, founder of the militia, and the organization of a million-dollar money laundering scheme. He is also accused of ordering the use of cloned cars and paying bribes to police officers to obtain information about operations.

The militiaman would have political activity with state deputy Lucinha, nicknamed “godmother”, acting in his interests. Lucinha would be responsible for defending the interests of the vans, a source of income for the militia, in addition to intervening in operations against rivals and changing battalion command in the area.

Zinho, Rio’s most wanted militiaman, is responsible for a series of crimes and is described as leader of the largest paramilitary group in the West Zone. The lawsuits reveal details about his activities, including the order to execute rivals, the use of cloned cars and his involvement in homicides.

Zinho’s recent arrest is part of authorities’ efforts to dismantle criminal groups and reinforce security in the state. The militia’s actions involve political, economic and criminal aspects, challenging the authorities to confront the complex power network of these paramilitary groups in Rio de Janeiro.