Prime Minister besieges CV and Bonde do Marco in Reconcavo Baiano amidst factional disputes

Since Tuesday, Bahia’s gendarmerie has been besieging two main factions operating in the state that are fighting over territory in the Reconcavo Baino region. Nine suspects have been killed and five more arrested in the cities of San Félix, Cachoeira and Muritiba.

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Sources contacted by GLOBO said the targets of the siege were Commando Vermelho (CV) and local faction Bonde do Marco (BDM). Approximately 200 police officers were mobilized and worked in wooded areas in the area where the gang members had fled. Aerial photos showed the suspects, believed to be from the BDM, holding weapons in the middle of the forest. See below:

Members of the drone film group hiding in the forest of Reconcavo Baiano

The siege began after authorities received intelligence that one faction would attack the other, which police acted in anticipation earlier in the week. The decision by members of the Cachoeira CV to switch sides and join San Félix’s BDM contributed to the escalation of tensions between the two factions.

Former CV members, along with new allies, organized attacks on their former partners on the opposite bank of the Paraguas River, which separates the two cities. Sensing this movement, police were deployed in forested areas used by criminals to move from city to city. But as O GLOBO discovered, members of the Rio faction were also at the scene.

Conflicts between factions and police have escalated over the past 48 hours. One person was killed in a clash between police and suspects early Tuesday morning. Due to the gunfight between factions, Mritiba City Hall suspended public services and advised residents not to leave their homes. Medical facilities in San Felix have begun operating with reduced hours, a measure announced as being of a “precautionary nature”.

On Wednesday, two more men were shot dead in another clash with police on the BR-101 embankment. Hours later, authorities confirmed five more deaths. The gunmen allegedly attacked a police officer, who then retaliated with gunfire. They were taken to the infirmary but did not survive. Another suspect died Thursday after resisting arrest.

Also on Thursday, the Prime Minister’s Air Group was convened to take part in operations in the region. In the morning, police teams discovered a camp used by members of one of the factions in a jungle area between San Felix, Cachoeira and Muritiba. According to the Bahia State Public Security Secretariat, about 30 suspects were hiding in a forest between the three municipalities.