Argentine-built rifle found in Rio favela gang’s arsenal
Friday, October 31st 2025 – 10:29 UTC
The Comando Vermelho has evolved into a paramilitary unit with a parallel justice system for gang members and favela residents
An Argentine-built FAL rifle was found in the Comando Vermelho (CV) arsenal seized in two Rio de Janeiro favelas after this week’s large-scale, deadly raid. In addition, the gang’s brutal torture system has been exposed
The FAL (Fusil Automático Liviano) rifle, manufactured in Rosario, Argentina, was seized by personnel from the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police Weapons and Explosives Inspection Coordination Unit (CFAE). Detective Vinicius Domingos, head of the unit, confirmed the finding.
The side of the weapon clearly reads: Military factory of portable weapons. Rosario. Argentine Industry, along with the Argentine Army coat of arms and the seal of Fabricaciones Militares, a dependency of the Ministry of Defense.
Judicial sources quoted by La Nación suggest the rifle may belong to a batch of 43 weapons and 2,500 rifle parts stolen 14 years ago from Battalion 603 in Fray Luis Beltrán, Argentina, where authorities have struggled to track the missing weapons, which have repeatedly surfaced in clashes involving drug gangs in Paraguay and Brazil.
In 2011, Brazilian Federal Police found a rifle assembled with parts from the Rosario factory during an operation against the First Capital Command (PCC) in São Paulo.
During the recent clashes, members of the Comando Vermelho were observed wearing military uniforms, bulletproof vests, and tactical gear, fueling speculation that the mega-drug trafficking organization has attained the size and operational sophistication of a military battalion.
A separate investigation by the Rio de Janeiro Public Prosecutor’s Office has exposed the brutal disciplinary system employed by the Comando Vermelho, which includes torture, executions, and extreme physical punishments carried out in so-called traffic courts within the communities they control.
The report, filed by the Special Action Group to Combat Organized Crime, details how the faction maintains obedience and territorial control by acting as a parallel judicial system.
The investigation found audio recordings and videos showing extreme methods of discipline. In one example, a woman was allegedly submerged in a bathtub filled with ice as punishment for being disruptive at parties.
The traffic courts, which determine the fate of both gang members and residents, are reportedly coordinated by Juan Breno Malta Ramos Rodrigues, known as BMW, who also leads the Equipe Sombra execution squad.
Another video presented as evidence shows a man tied up and gagged, being dragged by a vehicle through the street until he faints.
These practices, which also involve physical beatings by operatives like Fagner Campos Marinho, alias Bafo, are considered a system of criminal discipline to impose rules and instill fear.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office asserts that these practices of social control aim to reaffirm the power of the Comando Vermelho over the favelas, replacing the authority of the state. Investigators note that the faction records the events to use the videos as a deterrent, making the evidence crucial for future criminal proceedings against both the perpetrators and those who give the orders.
The reports highlight the ongoing challenge to judicial progress, often hampered by the lack of complaints and the extreme risk faced by potential witnesses.
