Top Brazilian Criminal Leader Zinho Surrenders, Held in Isolation

Authorities anticipate potential plea deal that could expose corruption in police forces, politics and business.

Luiz Antônio da Silva Braga, also known as Zinho, the boss of the largest militia group in the state of Rio de Janeiro, surrendered to federal police on Sunday and is now in isolation at a maximum security prison.
Zinho, who had 12 arrest warrants issued against him, had been on the run since 2018 and negotiated his own surrender to avoid being killed by rivals.
The militias, distinct from drug trafficking gangs, are believed to control about 10% of Rio’s metropolitan area and have recently moved into drug trafficking themselves.
Authorities are protecting Zinho in the expectation he could sign a plea deal that could implicate members of police forces, politicians and businessmen.
Zinho will stand trial on charges of forming a criminal organization, money laundering, extortion, bribing public officials and co-participating in the killing of former Rio councilor Jerônimo Guimarães Filho, better known as Jerominho.