Four Arrested in Ceará Boat Arson Tied to Extortion as Police Detain Alleged TCP Leader

Overview

• Police say a fishing vessel moored at Torrões beach in Itarema was set on fire in the early hours of December 8 after the owner refused to pay a criminal 'tax'.
• The boat’s owner valued the vessel at about R$1.8 million and said it was his livelihood for tuna and lobster fishing on the Ceará coast.
• A 28-year-old identified as Jorginaldo Ribeiro Félix, known as 'Bobica', was arrested in Fortaleza and booked in flagrante on charges of criminal organization, arson and extortion, with police citing prior records for illegal firearm possession and receiving stolen goods.
• G1 reports three additional suspects were later detained—two in Itarema and one in Fortaleza’s Barra do Ceará—bringing the total held to four, with notes related to the crime seized from one suspect.
• State authorities say the Itarema police station awaits forensic examination of the burned boat as the investigation continues, and reporters cite SSPDS sources describing a recent monthly fee demand and a lobster-fishing ban until the end of April.