SUMMARY
Brazil's most powerful criminal organizations, Comando Vermelho and PCC dominated drug trade in the country and peaceful relations were maintained by a truce. Although the groups originated in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo respectively, their power reached nationwide. In late 2016, after 20 years of coexistence the truce was broken, which led to an eruption of violence between the factions and their allies. The factions fought for control over drug trade in the country and control over trade routes connecting to neighboring countries such as Bolivia, Colombia, Peru and Paraguay. At first fighting was concentrated in prisons, however, a series of tit-for-tat attacks spurred further violence on the streets.
In the Rio Grande do Norte state, between the years 2006 and 2013, PCC expanded its dominance by holding a series of ‘baptisms of brothers’ (registration of new members into the faction). However, due to PCC’s strict bureaucracy and central dominance, several of these new members defected, creating in 27 March 2013 the faction Sindicato do Crime. The new actor then had PCC as its main rival, and fought for control over the international drug trade routes that passed through Rio Grande do Norte state, which had Europe as its main destination.
As it splintered from PCC, Sindicato do Crime was very successful when it came to managing its operations and expanding in Rio Grande do Norte state. It did so by having adopted, and adapted, PCC’s bureaucracy to better suit it to the reality of Rio Grande do Norte. Such strategy paid off, with Sindicato do Crime having grown to the point it became one of the most important criminal organizations in the state.
Nevertheless, such expansion was not free from setbacks, as Sindicato do Crime suffered numerous difficulties due to its limitations in terms of access to resources, particularly drugs, and arms. However, as the conflict with the PCC demanded a greater need for adaptation, Sindicato do Crime made the requirements for joining the group increasingly flexible. Thus succeeding in recruiting new members, with many of them very young, still new to the criminal life. With this practice, according to estimates, the faction grew in number of members, surpassing PCC in Rio Grande do Norte. Sindicato do Crime was then able to oust the PCC from the state capital, Natal, to the western region of the state; particularly the city of Mossoró and its surroundings.
Thus, in response, PCC started to fight for the control of the drug trade in the city of Mossoró, while seeking to ally itself with the GDE based in neighboring Ceará state.
At first, GDE had opposed PCC. Albeit when it formed an alliance with the São Paulo faction the group profited by having increased its access to resources, and by being able to restructure itself in accordance to PCC’s bureaucracy and management knowhow. As part of their "agreement", PCC provided the much needed weapons and drugs to GDE. In exchange, the alliance was strategic for PCC, because they were then able to compensate for the lack of members to cope with the growth of the Sindicato do Crime.
The non-state conflict between PCC, GDE and Sindicato do Crime was first included in UCDP data in 2020, when killings perpetrated by the groups surpassed the 25 battle-related deaths threshold.
