Maranhão prosecutor and police sign cooperation pact to target organized crime

On 22 April, the Maranhão State Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPMA) met with the Maranhão Civil Police to draft a technical cooperation agreement aimed at weakening criminal factions in the state. Officials, including Prosecutor‑General Danilo de Castro and Police Chief Augusto Barros, discussed measures to seize and redirect illicit assets toward security tools, intelligence systems and equipment, emphasizing the decapitalisation of organised crime groups.

Two days earlier, the State Security Secretariat launched another phase of the “Operation Vaga Livre” in São Luís, deploying police and military forces to tourist zones such as Avenida Litorânea and the historic centre. The joint action resulted in the arrest of Pedro Felipe Barroso Silva, who is serving a nine‑year sentence for drug trafficking, and issued warnings to irregular vehicle‑parking operators, reinforcing public safety during the holiday period.