Groaíras Loses Internet After Extortion Threats to Local ISPs

Overview

• Service providers reported a backbone fiber-optic rupture that left most of Groaíras without internet on Tuesday and also affected the nearby town of Cariré.
• Local companies say the outage came after weeks of extortion threats and pichação from a faction tied to the Comando Vermelho that demanded payments as high as R$4,000 per month.
• Police detained three men aged 18, 20 and 31 on Wednesday on suspicion of extorting internet providers and are investigating them under Lei nº 15.358/2026, the new Antifaction law.
• The state Secretariat of Public Security says integrated operations since July 2025 have led to dozens of captures for extortion, with roughly 100 arrests linked to attacks on internet providers, and patrols were reinforced this week.
• The outage disrupted health, education and municipal services, prompted early closure of public offices, and investigators continue to probe whether the fiber break was caused by the extortion campaign and who else may be involved.