Latest news with #ComandoVermelho
New York Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Brazilian singer who is pals with Neymar busted for alleged ties to gang he glorified in songs
A hugely popular Brazilian funk star whose songs glorify gang crime has been nabbed for the very same crimes he brags about in his songs. Marlon Brandon Coelho Couto Silva, better known as MC Poze do Rodo, was cuffed at his luxury home in the beachside neighborhood of Recreio dos Bandeirantes on Thursday morning, accused of cozying up to one of Rio De Janeiro's top crime groups, the Comando Velhelmo, according to Agencia Brasil. The 26-year-old influencer has 5.7 million monthly listeners on Spotify and nearly 16 million followers on Instagram, where he shows off his glamorous lifestyle rubbing shoulders with the likes of Brazilian soccer star Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior. Advertisement A Brazilian funk star's lyrics are being investigated for cozying up to one of Rio De Janeiro's top crime gangs. Josí© Lucena/TheNEWS2 via ZUMA Press / 'The repertoire of songs sung by him clearly advocates drug trafficking, the illegal use of firearms, and incites armed confrontations between rival gangs, which often results in innocent victims,' the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police told Agencia Brasil. His songs include several glorifying the Comando Velhelmo — whose members were seen toting guns while manning one of his recent shows, Folhape de Pernambuco reported. Advertisement In the song 'Na CDD Só Tem Bandido Faixa Preta,' Silva sang about it being time for Comando Vermelho to take back their turf from rival criminal groups. 'We have Glock, we have AK,' he raps. 'We're going to go back home and put the bullet to eat. Retake what's ours and shout: It's the CV!' Silva's concerts were allegedly used by the crime faction to 'increase profits from the sale of narcotics,' and used resources to 'acquire more drugs, firearms and other equipment necessary to commit crimes,' police told the outlet. Silva's shows were allegedly manned by armed members of Comando Vermelho in gang-controlled areas of Brazil. Instagram/pozevidalouca Advertisement He will be temporarily held in prison as the investigation continues, a custody center told the outlet. Comando Vermelho is one of Brazil's oldest criminal groups, founded in a Rio de Janeiro prison in the 1970s for inmates' self-protection, according to InSight Crime.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Brazilian superstar sang about shocking crimes and gangsta lifestyle... so police turned up at his door to ARREST him
A Brazilian megastar who sang about a gangster lifestyle and praised one of the country's most powerful criminal organizations has been arrested for his alleged links to the very same gang, 'Comando Vermelho'. MC Poze do Rozo, whose Instagram is filled photos of his lavish life and famous friends like Brazilian football hero Neymar, is being investigated for his role in allegedly inciting violence and drug trafficking, according to the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police. Narcotic agents served a temporary arrest warrant at the 26-year-old funk artist's luxury condominium in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, a neighborhood located in the west side of Rio de Janeiro. Mc Poze do Rozo, whose real name is Marlon Silva, has previously admitted to selling drugs from 2015 to 2016 but argued that he was being unfairly being targeted. 'This is persecution, you idiot,' he said as he was being transported to jail. 'You cheeky guy, this is persecution. It's evidence, but there's no proof of anything. Tell them to prove it'. The Rio de Janeiro Civil Police began investigating Mc Poze do Rozo on May 15 following the filming of his show in the notorious Cidade de Deus slum, where several alleged members of the Comando Vermelho were seen holding rifles. Mc Poze do Rozo, who has 5.7 million monthly listeners on Spotify and one song that with 126 million streams, sang several tracks that glorified the Comando Velhelmo at the show. 'The Civil Police reinforces that the lyrics go beyond the constitutional limits of freedom of expression and artistic expression, constituting serious crimes of apology for crime and association with drug trafficking,' the police said. 'Investigations continue to identify others involved and the direct financiers of the criminal events.' At least five songs reviewed by Brazilian news outlet Correio 24 Horas contained lyrics that paid homage to the Comando Vermelho and glorified criminal doings. In the song 'Na CDD Só Tem Bandido Faixa Preta,' Mc Poze do Rozo claims that it's time for the Comando Vermelho to regain possession of turf that was taken over by rival criminal groups. 'We have Glock, we have AK, 62 with laser sight, Terror of the Germans , it's the kids from 13,' he raps. 'We're going to go back home and put the bullet to eat. Retake what's ours and shout: It's the CV!' In 'Tropa do General,' the funk star mentions the Comando Vermelho's beef with rival gangs while alluding to the use of weapons. 'Respect the CV that only has angry bandits, only war minors that kick ass,' he rhymes. 'We are the terror of the Third, ADA and the snot.' The investigation into Mc Poze do Rozo also alleges he performed only in areas where the Comando Vermelho has a stronghold with the presence of the criminal network's heavily armed henchmen, who ensure security for the artist and the show. Authorities claim that because of the concerts, the notorious criminal organization has been able 'to increase their profits from the sale of narcotics, using the resources to purchase more drugs, firearms and other equipment necessary to commit crimes.' However, Mc Poze do Rozo's representatives released a statement rejecting the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police's criminal allegations. 'Today, Poze was surprised with a temporary arrest warrant and a search and seizure at his home,' the statement said. 'The accusation of association with trafficking and apology for crime makes little sense. Poze is an artist who succeeded in life through his music. 'Many musicians, actors, and directors have artistic pieces that depict situations that would be crimes, but they are never prosecuted because they are clearly works of fiction. 'Poze's arrest, or that of any MC in this context, is nothing more than the criminalization of peripheral art, persecution, and yet another episode of racism and institutional prejudice, in the most absurd way, that Poze was led to, and this is the greatest proof of that.' Poze drew the attention of the police in November 2023 when he and his wife were probed for promoting illegal raffles on social media. Authorities seized his luxury fleet of vehicles and other personal belongings, including jewelry, but a court judge ruled in April that his assets had to be returned because they were not linked to the criminal investigation. Poze responded to the judge's decision with a social media post in which he wrote: 'I just want what is mine, and what God generously gives me.'
AsiaOne
08-05-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Brazil rejects US request to classify local gangs as terrorist organisations, World News
BRASILIA — The Brazilian government rejected a request by the US State Department to designate two major criminal gangs that officials believe to have members in the United States as terrorist organisations, Mario Sarrubo, Brazil's national secretary of public security, told Reuters on Wednesday (May 7). He said the request was made on Tuesday during a meeting between David Gamble, who leads the sanctions strategy for the US State Department, six other officials from President Donald Trump's administration, and eight Brazilian officials in Brasilia. Gamble was concerned about the gangs Primeiro Comando da Capital, known as PCC, and Comando Vermelho, known as CV, which control territories in several Brazilian cities. Trump has been trying to tie his aggressive crackdown on immigration to the presence of members of Latin American criminal gangs in US cities. Earlier this year, the US government designated several drug cartels as terrorist organisations, including Venezuela's Tren de Aragua and El Salvador's MS13. "We don't have terrorist organisations here, we have criminal organisations that have infiltrated society," Sarrubo, who wasn't in the meeting, said. But Brazilian law, he added, only considers organisations that violently clash with the government for religious or racial reasons to be terrorists. In recent weeks, the Trump administration has deported hundreds of Latin American immigrants, alleging they were gang members, though it presented little evidence of their criminal ties. At the meeting in Brasilia, US officials informed their Brazilian counterparts that their request was part of an effort to address immigration and criminal gangs with a transnational presence, saying they were priorities to the Trump administration, one source who was present said. US officials said a terrorist designation could help the government apply sanctions, raise resources and target criminal supply chains, the same source added. According to this source, US officials said the Federal Bureau of Investigation had reported the PCC and the Comando Vermelho had cells in 12 US states, mainly Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Florida, Connecticut and Tennessee. Those reports, the source added, alleged that the gangs trafficked guns and laundered money through Brazilians who travelled to the US, adding that 113 people were denied visas to enter the country because of connections to organised crime in 2024 alone. In March, the US Attorney's Office charged 18 Brazilians with trafficking several types of firearms within the US Some of the illegal activities, the government said, had ties to the PCC, and many of the Brazilians who were charged were in the US illegally. On Monday, the office of Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, said he met with Trump Organisation officials to deliver a dossier that he said included intelligence information that tied both the PCC and the CV to terrorist acts. The US embassy in Brasilia did not immediately reply to a request for comment. [[nid:716894]]
Straits Times
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Brazil rejects US request to classify local gangs as terrorist organisations
President Donald Trump has been trying to tie his aggressive crackdown on immigration to the presence of members of Latin American criminal gangs in US cities. PHOTO: REUTERS BRASILIA - The Brazilian government rejected a request by the US State Department to designate two major criminal gangs that officials believe to have members in the United States as terrorist organisations, Mr Mario Sarrubo, Brazil's national secretary of public security, told Reuters on May 7. He said the request was made on May 6 during a meeting between Mr David Gamble, who leads the sanctions strategy for the US State Department, six other officials from President Donald Trump's administration, and eight Brazilian officials in Brasilia. Mr Gamble was concerned about the gangs Primeiro Comando da Capital, known as PCC, and Comando Vermelho, known as CV, which control territories in several Brazilian cities. Mr Trump has been trying to tie his aggressive crackdown on immigration to the presence of members of Latin American criminal gangs in US cities. Earlier in 2025, the US government designated several drug cartels as terrorist organisations, including Venezuela's Tren de Aragua and El Salvador's MS13. "We don't have terrorist organisations here, we have criminal organisations that have infiltrated society," Mr Sarrubo, who wasn't in the meeting, said. But Brazilian law, he added, only considers organisations that violently clash with the government for religious or racial reasons to be terrorists. In recent weeks, the Trump administration has deported hundreds of Latin American immigrants, alleging they were gang members, though it presented little evidence of their criminal ties. At the meeting in Brasilia, US officials informed their Brazilian counterparts that their request was part of an effort to address immigration and criminal gangs with a transnational presence, saying they were priorities to the Trump administration, one source who was present said. US officials said a terrorist designation could help the government apply sanctions, raise resources and target criminal supply chains, the same source added. According to this source, US officials said the Federal Bureau of Investigation had reported the PCC and the Comando Vermelho had cells in 12 US states, mainly Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Florida, Connecticut and Tennessee. Those reports, the source added, alleged that the gangs trafficked guns and laundered money through Brazilians who traveled to the US, adding that 113 people were denied visas to enter the country because of connections to organized crime in 2024 alone. In March, the US Attorney's Office charged 18 Brazilians with trafficking several types of firearms within the US. Some of the illegal activities, the government said, had ties to the PCC, and many of the Brazilians who were charged were in the US illegally. On May 5, the office of Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, said he met with Trump Organization officials to deliver a dossier that he said included intelligence information that tied both the PCC and the CV to terrorist acts. The US embassy in Brasilia did not immediately reply to a request for comment. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Brazil rejects US request to classify local gangs as terrorist organizations
United States Department of State logo and U.S. flag are seen in this illustration taken April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo BRASILIA - The Brazilian government rejected a request by the U.S. State Department to designate two major criminal gangs that officials believe to have members in the United States as terrorist organizations, Mario Sarrubo, Brazil's national secretary of public security, told Reuters on Wednesday. He said the request was made on Tuesday during a meeting between David Gamble, who leads the sanctions strategy for the U.S. State Department, six other officials from President Donald Trump's administration, and eight Brazilian officials in Brasilia. Gamble was concerned about the gangs Primeiro Comando da Capital, known as PCC, and Comando Vermelho, known as CV, which control territories in several Brazilian cities. Trump has been trying to tie his aggressive crackdown on immigration to the presence of members of Latin American criminal gangs in U.S. cities. Earlier this year, the U.S. government designated several drug cartels as terrorist organizations, including Venezuela's Tren de Aragua and El Salvador's MS13. "We don't have terrorist organizations here, we have criminal organizations that have infiltrated society," Sarrubo, who wasn't in the meeting, said. But Brazilian law, he added, only considers organizations that violently clash with the government for religious or racial reasons to be terrorists. In recent weeks, the Trump administration has deported hundreds of Latin American immigrants, alleging they were gang members, though it presented little evidence of their criminal ties. At the meeting in Brasilia, U.S. officials informed their Brazilian counterparts that their request was part of an effort to address immigration and criminal gangs with a transnational presence, saying they were priorities to the Trump administration, one source who was present said. U.S. officials said a terrorist designation could help the government apply sanctions, raise resources and target criminal supply chains, the same source added. According to this source, U.S. officials said the Federal Bureau of Investigation had reported the PCC and the Comando Vermelho had cells in 12 U.S. states, mainly Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Florida, Connecticut and Tennessee. Those reports, the source added, alleged that the gangs trafficked guns and laundered money through Brazilians who traveled to the U.S., adding that 113 people were denied visas to enter the country because of connections to organized crime in 2024 alone. In March, the U.S. Attorney's Office charged 18 Brazilians with trafficking several types of firearms within the U.S. Some of the illegal activities, the government said, had ties to the PCC, and many of the Brazilians who were charged were in the U.S. illegally. On Monday, the office of Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, said he met with Trump Organization officials to deliver a dossier that he said included intelligence information that tied both the PCC and the CV to terrorist acts. The U.S. embassy in Brasilia did not immediately reply to a request for comment. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
