Police in Brazil have significantly bolstered security measures in anticipation of Prince William’s visit to Rio following a violent day in the city. A total of 64 individuals, including four police officers, lost their lives on Tuesday, with 80 suspects detained in a crackdown aimed at thwarting the feared criminal group known as Comando Vermelho from expanding its illicit activities. The government is urgently seeking to capture the group’s leader before Prince William’s scheduled arrival on Friday to receive his environmental Earthshot award. Today, armed units were part of one of Brazil’s largest manhunts for a notorious mob boss linked to over 100 murders. An organization similar to Crimestoppers has offered a substantial reward for any information leading to the apprehension of 55-year-old Edgard Alves Andrade, also known as Urso.
A source informed the Mirror that with Prince William and other dignitaries heading to Rio for the ceremony, security had already been heightened. However, following the unprecedented violence during recent gang clashes, the government has deployed additional officers and military personnel. All eyes will be on Rio during William’s visit, with genuine concerns about potential outbreaks of violence.
Andrade has been identified as a key figure in the Red Command gang, which was the focus of a large-scale police operation involving 2,500 officers in two Rio de Janeiro slums. Alves, also known as Doca da Penha, managed to evade capture during the intense law enforcement efforts and remains at large.
Authorities have confirmed a reward of £14,000 for information leading to Andrade’s arrest, marking the highest bounty ever offered by Disque Denuncia, a program established in Rio three decades ago. Informants providing leads on the fugitive are guaranteed anonymity.
A reward of this magnitude has only been matched once before by a similar organization 25 years ago for Rio drug lord Fernandinho Beira-Mar. Alves has been implicated in orchestrating a triple homicide in October 2023 in Rio’s Tijuca area, where three doctors attending a conference were mistakenly targeted as rival gang members.
Alves, labeled as Rio’s public enemy number one by local media, is also suspected in the disappearance of three children from Belford Roxo in Rio de Janeiro state. The youngsters, ages nine to twelve, vanished in December 2020 and were allegedly murdered for stealing a birdcage from a drug dealer’s relative.
Born in Paraiba, northeastern Brazil, Alves grew up in Vila Cruzeiro, a highly dangerous Rio favela known for daily shootings. He has been on the run since escaping prison in 2017, with reports indicating he is wanted on 26 outstanding arrest warrants. Disque Denuncia issued a statement offering a reward for Alves’ capture and highlighted his involvement in numerous serious crimes.
Rio governor Claudio Castro described the city as being in a state of war due to ongoing conflicts between criminals and law enforcement, characterizing the situation as “narco-terrorism.” The recent police operation against the Red Command, Brazil’s oldest criminal faction, involved armored vehicles navigating through narrow alleys amid gunfire and explosive incidents orchestrated by gang members using drones.
In summary, Rio authorities are intensifying efforts to capture Edgard Alves Andrade, a notorious criminal figure, before Prince William’s upcoming visit, amidst heightened security concerns in the city.