Overview

• An exclusive Senappen history reviewed by reporters says Fernandinho Beira-Mar continues to lead the Comando Vermelho nearly 20 years into federal custody, financing legal aid for allies and coordinating activity beyond the walls.
• Documents cite episodes such as bilhetes found in meal containers that triggered 2017’s Operation Epístola and note co-custody periods in Campo Grande, reinforcing evidence of persistent communication.
• Rio police report traffickers from 13 states sheltering in CV-controlled areas, while the faction operates franchises in about 25 states plus the Federal District and uses Rio as a protected base for remote command.
• A legislative shift that extended minimum federal stays from up to 360 days to at least three years is identified by prosecutors and investigators as a driver of deeper cross-state networking among imprisoned leaders.
• Authorities disagree over causation—state prosecutors tie the prison dynamics to CV’s nationalization as the federal prison chief argues the system contains crime—while joint interstate operations target migrants like Zeus, who rose in Rio after federal custody.