Wiretaps Disclose BOPE Policeman Negotiating Major’s Death With Known Criminal

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Messages intercepted by the Federal Police with court approval between 2014 and 2015 showed that a State Police (PM) officer tried to convince Walace de Brito Trindade, aka Lacoste – an escaped criminal with arrest warrants for robbery, trafficking, and homicide – to stage a robbery, for the purpose of executing a State Police Major who was at the time leading a police operation at the Serrinha favela in Madureira.

The police officer, who provided details of BOPE’s routine to the trafficker and previously alerted him about the unit’s operations, has not yet been identified.

GLOBO had exclusive access to the conversations. On November 13th, 2014, the PM used the BlackBerry Message app to contact the trafficker, who was being monitored by the Federal Police. He calls the criminal “my king”.

“Good morning my king all quiet, or is that guy X. mocking the community?????,” asks the PM, referring to the major. The officer’s identity will be preserved. “He is, my king, you don’t even know,” answers Lacoste.

“Well, my king, send for him at home without raising suspicion. Find out where he lives and get him. It’s the only way, or else wait for him to leave, which is close”, suggests the PM. “See where he lives and when he leaves the house, stage a robbery and do him in,” the policeman adds.

A week later, the PM revisits the subject: “It has to be far from there,” he wrote, on November 20th. “Glock with silencer and charger of 100 shots will do him. This guy’s got an angry ass. Send him to hell”, he added, referring to the gun that would be used in the crime.

“Correct, I’ll see. I would have to find some guys to do this my king”, answers the dealer. “It’s not hard,” concludes the agent. They never discuss it again. The targeted officer is still in the PM.

Operations were leaked to criminals

In other conversations, the PM leaked BOPE operations that would take place both in Serrinha and in other favelas controlled by the same faction.

Between November 24th and 25th, 2014, the officer warned Lacoste that BOPE would invade Vila Aliança, in Bangu, after the kidnapping, torture, and execution of soldier Ryan Procópio Guimarães in the favela. The PM was the brother of a BOPE lieutenant.

“My king, there are talks that a BOPE officer’s brother was killed here. They’re going to block off the area indefinitely until they catch the guy,” wrote the police officer. “The guy” mentioned by the officer was Rafael Alves, o Peixe, then head of the Vila Aliança drug trade.

The MP even suggests to the criminal that the faction takes Peixe out of the favela as a result of BOPE’s operations. “He has to send his brother away because they will hunt him down there until they catch him”.

At around 6:00 AM on the 25th, the PM officer also warns of an action by the battalion’s special service. “My king, the embers are hot, don’t get soft there. It is important to note that BOPE is taking to the streets to carry out operations”, wrote the PM.

In other messages, the drug trafficker and the police officer agree on the date and place for the delivery of the “milestone” – an expression used by the duo to refer to the bribe.

The intercepted messages prompted several investigations against MPs and traffickers. The most recent one to be brought to court is that which culminated in the denunciation of nine police officers from the 9th Military Police Batallion for corruption.

Source: Globo