🇧🇷🇧🇷👮👮⚡️Top Rio de Janeiro Drug Lord Killed in BOPE Operation After Years on the Run

In the early hours of Tuesday, May 13, 2025, Brazil’s elite Special Police Operations Battalion (BOPE) killed Thiago da Silva Folly, known as “TH da Maré,” during a high-risk raid in the Complexo da Maré, one of Rio de Janeiro’s largest favela complexes.

TH, 36, was a top leader of the Terceiro Comando Puro (TCP), one of the state’s most violent criminal organizations. He had been a fugitive since 2016 and was wanted on 17 outstanding arrest warrants. His criminal record included 227 citations, with charges ranging from homicide and drug trafficking to robbery and attacks against law enforcement.

Authorities had been monitoring TH for eight months. He was found hiding in a fortified bunker in Morro do Timbau, protected by 20–30 armed men. During the operation, two of his bodyguards were also killed. TH was reportedly directly involved in the murders of two BOPE officers in 2024 and a National Force soldier in 2016.

Colonel Marcelo de Menezes Nogueira, head of Rio’s Military Police, presented a five-meter-long printed version of TH’s criminal record at a press conference, calling for stricter criminal laws. Public Security Secretary Victor Santos said the success of the operation was rooted in “months of uninterrupted intelligence work.”

TH was also known for dressing as superheroes—especially Batman—during community events to win favor with local residents. He played a central role in TCP’s finances through drug sales, illegal satellite services, and revenue from bailes funks (funk parties), generating an estimated R$200,000 monthly. He also led cargo theft operations across the state.

As a result of the operation, major roads in the city—including Linha Amarela and Linha Vermelha—were temporarily closed. The government reinforced security throughout the Maré complex for an indefinite period.

Sources:
• Veja: Coronel da PM exibe ficha criminal de TH da Maré
• CNN Brasil: Quem era TH da Maré, traficante morto em operação do Bope no Rio
• CNN Brasil: Chefe da PM mostra ficha criminal de TH e cobra leis mais duras
• CNN Brasil: Áudios revelam os últimos minutos antes de TH morrer

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