Brazilian criminal leader Júnior Trindade wounded in Bolivia

Engri Júnior de Almeida Maia, known as ‘Júnior Trindade’, a high-profile criminal leader from the Brazilian state of Goiás, is in critical condition following a shooting in Concepción, Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Trindade, who was reportedly using the false identity of Julio Salles Barbosa, was shot in the head on Saturday, October 24.

Trindade is identified by investigators as the founder and leader of the Associação Amigos do Estado (ADE), a criminal organization with alleged links to the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC). His group is suspected of involvement in drug trafficking, money laundering, and violent crimes. He had been a fugitive from Brazilian justice for over four years.

Authorities are investigating two primary theories regarding the shooting: a coordinated international police operation involving the Bolivian Police and the Brazilian Federal Police, or an ambush by a rival criminal faction competing for control of regional trafficking routes. While some reports initially suggested he had died, the Brazilian Federal Police officially denied his death, confirming he remains in intensive care at a private clinic in Bolivia.