BOLIVIA · ORGANISED CRIME
Key Facts
- —What is happening Bolivian drug police and four Brazilians traded gunfire in Concepción, Santa Cruz department, on Saturday, 24 October, leaving one Brazilian critically hurt with a head wound.
- —Why it matters The wounded man, wanted in Brazil, is described as founder of a faction linked to the PCC, a Brazilian gang that Washington designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
- —The numbers Four Brazilians were in the pickup truck: one hurt, three fled, and one woman was arrested. His faction allegedly moved 70 million reais (about US$14.0 million) through a bank tied to the PCC.
- —Who is who Engri Júnior de Almeida Maia, 38, alias Júnior Trindade, used the false name Julio Salles Barbosa. The PCC is a Brazilian gang born in São Paulo prisons in 1993.
- —What to watch Bolivia’s Government Minister Marco Antonio Oviedo is due to brief the press on Monday, 26 October. The wounded man’s condition and who fired first remain open.
- —Power Index Bolivia ranks 12th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 28.4 points (October 2026 edition).
- —What it means for you US banks, shippers and exporters dealing in Bolivia or Brazil have reason to screen for PCC links, because knowingly supporting a designated terrorist group is a US federal crime.
A Brazilian fugitive was critically wounded in a Bolivian gunfight. Investigators link his faction to a gang the United States calls terrorist.
This Bolivia clash began on Saturday, 24 October, when drug police and four Brazilians traded gunfire in Concepción, in Santa Cruz department. One Brazilian, a fugitive wanted at home, was critically wounded by a gunshot to the head.
Brazilian investigators link his faction to the PCC, a gang the United States designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2026. That gives the clash a US dimension, as Washington also presses Bolivia on corruption and drug links; see the Bolivia hub.
What Bolivian Officials Say Happened
Dorian Badani, Bolivia’s deputy minister for the fight against narcotics, gave the official account on Sunday, 25 October. He spoke at a news conference in Santa Cruz city, Brújula Digital reported.
Agents of FELCN, Bolivia’s special drug police, were on an intelligence operation, he said. A pickup carrying four Brazilians refused to stop, the occupants opened fire, and the officers fired back, Badani said.
One Brazilian was wounded and taken to the Concepción hospital, then to a private clinic in Santa Cruz city. The other three escaped, and police are searching for them, Badani said.
Residents called police about shots near the municipal cemetery around 4 p.m., a police report seen by El Deber says. Opinión’s first report said 5 p.m. and five bullet impacts, but El Deber counts at least 10 on the grey Ford.
Police arrested a 25-year-old woman identified as the wounded man’s partner, El Deber reported. She was allegedly trying to arrange a small plane to move him to Santa Cruz city.
Officers found a high-calibre rifle, ammunition, phones, a laptop, jewellery and marijuana in the pickup, Badani said. Related raids turned up luxury vehicles, jet skis and quad bikes, Brújula Digital reported.
Badani rejected the first version, in which two men on a motorcycle shot at the pickup. The motorcycles belonged to residents who arrived after the shooting, he said.
Who the Wounded Man Is
Police identified him as Engri Júnior de Almeida Maia, 38, known as Júnior Trindade. In Bolivia he used the false name Julio Salles Barbosa, El Deber and Red Uno reported.
His real identity was confirmed through an exchange between Bolivian police and Brazil’s Federal Police. Brazilian authorities describe him as one of the most wanted criminals in Goiás state, a fugitive for over four years.
He is described as founder of the Associação Amigos do Estado (ADE), formed about 10 years ago in Trindade, near Goiânia. ADE is a separate faction that investigators link to the PCC.
Brazilian media list charges of drug trafficking, money laundering, illegal gun possession and organised crime, El País Bolivia reported. No response from him or a lawyer has been reported, and no conviction is mentioned.
Brazil’s Federal Police denied reports on Sunday, 25 October that he had died. He remains in intensive care in critical condition, El Deber and NC News reported.
The Money and Drug Route Investigators Allege
Reports citing Brazil’s Federal Police say ADE moved at least 70 million reais (about US$14.0 million) through a PCC-linked digital bank. Goiás prosecutors reportedly estimate 1 billion reais (about US$200 million) passed through the group since its creation.
NC News, citing Metrópoles, stresses these are estimates tied to investigations, not proof that all the money was criminal. Conversions use the exchange rate of 26 October 2026, 4.995 reais per US$1.
Investigators also say ADE used farms in Tocantins state to receive and distribute drug loads coming from Bolivia. Bolivia shares a long border with Brazil, and the sources place the faction’s drug supply there.
In Plain English
- PCC (Primeiro Comando da Capital) is a Brazilian gang that began in São Paulo prisons in 1993.
- FELCN is Bolivia’s special police force against drug trafficking.
- ADE is a Goiás gang that Brazilian investigators link to the PCC.
- Foreign Terrorist Organization is a US legal label that makes knowing support for a group a federal crime.
What It Means for US Readers
Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed the determination naming the PCC and Comando Vermelho Foreign Terrorist Organizations, dated Thursday, 28 May 2026. Federal Register notice 2026-11323, published on Friday, 5 June, says the designations take effect on publication.
Under US law, knowingly giving material support to a designated group is a federal crime. Compliance teams at banks, shippers and exporters in Bolivia and Brazil have reason to screen for PCC links.
On Thursday, 22 October, Washington also restricted the visas of 40 people in Bolivia, El Deber reported. They include two deputies, judges, prosecutors and former police officials, and the count includes immediate relatives.
The explainer on the US visa sanctions on Bolivian judges covers that list. The arrest of a former police intelligence chief is in report on the Marset raid case.
Bolivia’s power balance is mapped in Bolivia politics: the key players. The report on the cocaine planes bribe claim shows the pressure on President Rodrigo Paz’s government.
What Is Not Known
Who fired first is not independently established, and Bolivian officials say the Brazilians shot first. NC News, citing Metrópoles, says a police action and a rival gang ambush are both hypotheses.
Early reports spoke of two men on a motorcycle, which Badani rejected. He confirmed one wounded Brazilian and signs of another, while El País reports two plus a bystander.
Only Brújula Digital says he was also on an Interpol wanted list, which other outlets do not mention. ADE’s formal tie to the PCC is described as a link under investigation, not a merger.
No source says whether US agencies took part in the operation or help with the case. Nor do the sources say whether Brazil will seek his return once he recovers.
What Comes Next
Government Minister Marco Antonio Oviedo is due to give a news conference on Monday, 26 October, Brújula Digital reported. Police continue to search for the three Brazilians who fled.
A news conference is not a charge, and no court step has been reported. His condition may decide whether he can be questioned at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in Concepción, Bolivia?
Bolivian drug police and four Brazilians traded gunfire on Saturday, 24 October. One Brazilian was critically wounded and three fled.
Who is Júnior Trindade?
He is a Brazilian wanted in Goiás state, identified as Engri Júnior de Almeida Maia, 38. Brazilian investigators call him founder of the ADE gang, which they link to the PCC.
What is the PCC?
The PCC is a Brazilian gang that began in São Paulo prisons in 1993. The US State Department designated it a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2026.
Why does the United States care?
Knowingly supporting a designated group is a US federal crime, so firms dealing with Bolivia or Brazil need to screen for links. Washington is also restricting visas in Bolivia over corruption and drug ties.
Is the wounded man still alive?
Yes, according to reports on 25 October. Brazil’s Federal Police denied reports of his death, and he is in critical condition in intensive care.
Sources: El Deber, Júnior Trindade, 25 October; El Deber, police report, 25 October; El Deber, Badani account, 25 October; Brújula Digital, Badani news conference, 25 October; Brújula Digital, identity, 25 October; Red Uno, 25 October; El País Bolivia, 25 October; Opinión, first report, 24 October; NC News, 25 October; El Deber, US visa list, 23 October; US State Department, Federal Register notice 2026-11323; ExchangeRate-API, rate of 26 October 2026 (all accessed 26 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief