Armed members of the Terceiro Comando Puro (TCP), one of the main drug trafficking factions in Rio de Janeiro, killed a 13-year-old boy known by the nicknames Bebel and Ratinho during a raid in the Furquim Mendes community, located in the North Zone neighborhood of Jardim América. The assault took place on Sunday, October 11, 2026, setting off a series of two incursions on the same day that left two people linked to the rival Comando Vermelho (CV) faction dead and ended with two suspects arrested by the Military Police.
Investigators identified the teenage victim as an active member of the local drug trade who routinely posted photos on social media holding an assault rifle and a .50-caliber firearm. Aerial footage captured by a drone documented the exact moment a gunman on a motorcycle surveyed the area before opening fire on the teenager.
Hours after the initial shooting, a second armed incursion into the same neighborhood resulted in the death of another Comando Vermelho member and the seizure of a rifle by state security forces. Authorities attributed both coordinated raids to the Tropa do Carroceiro, an armed group formed by former Comando Vermelho members who defected to join the faction led by Peixão in the Complexo de Israel territory.
Aerial footage captures motorcycle ambush and heavy weaponry
Drone footage released on Wednesday (14) recorded how the attack against the 13-year-old unfolded inside Furquim Mendes. In the video, an armed man riding a motorcycle circles near an illicit drug selling point within the community. The rider spots Bebel distracted on the street, loops around the block twice to check the surrounding movement, and fires multiple shots.
The teenager attempted to run after the gunfire started, but he died from his injuries at the scene. Early accounts from the neighborhood suggested the shooter took a backpack containing drugs that the minor was carrying, though law enforcement authorities have not confirmed that detail. Police officials did not release the boy’s legal name.
See also: Antônio Everaldo Emídio arrested under armed guard after killing couple
Identified as a foot soldier for the Comando Vermelho, Bebel was 13 years old, according to findings confirmed by investigative reporter Bruno Assunção. Prior to his death, the youth frequently shared pictures online displaying heavy weaponry, including an AR-style rifle and a homemade .50-caliber weapon. That firearm is a modified version of the single-shot Barrett M99 rifle adapted to accept detachable magazines.
Follow-up raid leads to second death and police arrests
Just hours after Bebel was killed, the rival group launched a second incursion into the Furquim Mendes community. During this subsequent raid, another Comando Vermelho member, known by the alias Filhote, was shot and killed, bringing the death toll from the consecutive attacks to two.
While fleeing the area after the second armed clash, the attackers were intercepted by officers from the 16th Military Police Battalion (BPM), which is headquartered in the nearby neighborhood of Olaria. The police stop led to the arrest of two suspects and the confiscation of a rifle used by the group.
Both armed operations were carried out by the Tropa do Carroceiro, a unit aligned with Álvaro Malaquias Santa Rosa, known as Peixão, who commands the Terceiro Comando Puro across the Complexo de Israel favelas. The striking group is led by a trafficker identified as Gabriel, nicknamed Carroceiro, and brings together former residents and drug trade operatives from the Furquim Mendes and Dique communities who abandoned the Comando Vermelho to fight for the TCP.
Check out: Gustavo de Castro Campos dies in car blaze as homicide detectives seal rural road
Timeline of faction clashes in Furquim Mendes during 2026
Situated on the border between the neighborhoods of Jardim América and Vigário Geral, the Furquim Mendes community has faced repeated invasion attempts since mid-2026, after Carroceiro switched factions and began guiding rival gunmen through the local alleys. The killing of Bebel also adds to a series of violent incidents involving minors in Rio de Janeiro‘s drug war, including the death of an 11-year-old boy known as Menorzinho and linked to the CV, who was kidnapped and killed by the TCP in the municipality of Duque de Caxias on Thursday (15).
- March 5, 2026: A police operation in Furquim Mendes results in the arrest of local drug boss Marcos Vinícius Miranda da Costa, 32, known as Pato, and leaves two men dead during a shootout, including 32-year-old resident Gabriel da Silva Machado.
- June 2026: An attack attributed to the TCP inside the Furquim Mendes community kills 20-year-old Gabriel Felipe Rodrigues Pereira while he repairs a motorcycle at a tire shop, a case referred to the Capital Homicide Division (DHC), the specialized state police unit that investigates killings in the city.
- July 7, 2026: An invasion attempt organized with the support of Carroceiro sparks an intense shootout in Furquim Mendes, causing the death of 21-year-old resident Paulo Henrique Martins dos Santos on Xavier Pinheiro Street and forcing the suspension of classes at two state public schools.
- October 11, 2026: Back-to-back offensives by the Tropa do Carroceiro in the community leave two CV members dead, including 13-year-old Bebel, and result in two suspects being arrested by the 16th BPM.
- October 14, 2026: Drone footage of the execution in Furquim Mendes and the confirmation that the teenage victim was 13 years old become public.
The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro, the state agency responsible for criminal investigations, is examining the circumstances of the armed clashes in the North Zone and the death of the 13-year-old boy. Detectives are reviewing the aerial recordings and the arrests made by the 16th BPM to identify the motorcycle shooter and other participants in the Sunday raids.
