Militia Leader Killed During Dental Appointment in Rio

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The leader of a militia operating in the region of Campo Grande, in Rio de Janeiro, was killed during a dental appointment.

According to the Civil Police, armed men stormed into the clinic and executed 41-year-old Alexsander da Silva Monteiro, aka Popeye.

According to the newspaper ‘Extra’, the men fired at least 20 rounds at Alexsander and his body was left on top of the chair where he was being attended. The dentist and one other person were injured.

State police officers from the 31st State Police Batallion in Recreio dos Bandeirantes rushed to the scene and are investigating the case.

According to the agents, one of the lines of investigation is that the murder of the militiaman resulted from a dispute for the expansion of the paramilitary group in Campo Grande and Santa Cruz.

The police, however, do not rule out other motivations behind the execution.

According to the Civil Police, Popeye took command of the Campo Grande militia after the arrest of his partner Francisco César Silva de Oliveira, aka Chico Bala, in 2010.