Bahia Police Tighten Recôncavo Siege as Air Units Hunt Rifle-Armed Factions

Overview

• The multi-day operation, launched Nov. 11 across São Félix, Cachoeira and Muritiba, has deployed about 200 officers with aerial support to encircle suspects in forested areas.
• Police report that faction members are using 7.62 rifles, a shift Colonel Lucas Palma says pushes confrontations to a “level of war.”
• Nine suspects have been killed and five detained, with teams locating a hidden encampment and drone footage showing armed groups moving through the mata.
• State officials say roughly 30 suspects are believed to be concealed between the three municipalities as searches continue with air support.
• Reporting identifies the dispute as involving Comando Vermelho and Bonde do Maluco, with a recent defection and cross-river attack cited by sources, while services were curtailed and UFRB moved classes online.