SUMMARY
The GDE (Guardiões do Estado/Guardians of the state) was formed in 2012 and became one of the dominating gangs in Ceará state in northeastern Brazil. The group was involved in drug trafficking in Ceará state, mainly in the capital Fortaleza city and the larger Metropolitan Region.
Similarly to other drug trafficking networks the GDE had no big chief. Instead, they had a decentralized leadership with serveral leaders in their controlled neighborhoods as well as in state prisons. One of these leaders was identified as Daniel Júnior dos Santos Silva, "Junior Play", who was involved in coordinating the faction from a state prison. Members of GDE are often adolescents recruited from poor areas in Fortaleza city periphery, giving them an opportunity to make a livelihood.
In 2017, GDE allied themselves with PCC, one of Brazil's most powerful criminal organizations. PCC had for years upheld peaceful relations with its main rival, Comando Vermelho, until 2016 when their truce was broken, which led to an escalation of violence in the country. The groups and their allies battled for control over drug trafficking and trafficking routs. The new alliance caused enmity between GDE and Comando Vermelho which resulted in an eruption of violence in Ceará state.
The GDE has been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organized violence.
The PCC (Primeiro Comando da Capital/First Command of the Capital) emerged in São Paulo prisons in 1993. The year before, Carandiru prison had been the scene of a massacre which killed 111 prisoners, urging prisoners to fight for their rights. Eight prisoners from Carandiru was later transferred to Taubaté prison, where they formed the PCC with the goal to "combat oppression within the São Paulo prison system". PCC was inspired by Comando Vermelho, another prison-based gang formed in Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s. Since its formation, the PCC has, together with Comando Vermelho, grown to become the most powerful criminal organizations in Brazil.
PCC activities were initially concentrated to prisons, organizing prison riots across São Paulo state. Eventually their activities went beyond the penitentiary system, attacking police and security forces on the streets. In 1999, the group made history as they robbed a São Paulo bank of $32 million. In an attempt to weaken the group, the government transferred PCC leaders to keep them in separate prisons across the country. On the contrary, the split made it possible for them to make connections with other groups, increasing their influence.
The PCC dominated drug trade in the country together with Comando Vermelho and peaceful relations between them were maintained by a truce. In late 2016, the truce was broken after 20 years which led to an eruption of violence between the factions and their allies. The break-off became evident in October 2016 as the groups clashed in prisons across Brazil. The conflict escalated further as Comando Vermelho ally FDN killed 56 PCC members in a prison in Manaus, capital of Amazonas state, the first of January 2017. PCC responded one week later with killing 31 FDN members in a prison in Roraima state. The groups, along with their allies, battle for dominance over the drug trade and control over smuggling routes. Since 2017, PCC influence has spread outside national borders to neighboring countries as Bolivia, Colombia, Paraguay and Uruguay.
The PCC leadership developed a decentralized structure, with several local leaders. Many of the of leaders of the group have been killed or expelled, however Marcos Willians Herbas Camacho, "Marcola", has been identified as the top leader, operating from a maximum security prison.
Since the split between PCC and Comando Vermelho, their new alliances grew in importance. PCCs main ally was GDE, a group operating in northeastern Ceará state. In attempts to challenge Comando Vermelho in Rio de Janeiro city, PCC allied themselves with Amigos dos Amigos, another Rio-based gang and enemy of Comando Vermelho. Ties to FARC, Italian mafia ‘Ndrangheta, and other criminal organizations around the world have also been found.
The PCC has been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organized violence.
