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Liga da Justiça

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Liga da Justiça
FoundedFebruary 10, 1995; 31 years ago (1995-02-10)
Founding locationCosmos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Years active1995–present
TerritoryRio de Janeiro
Criminal activitiesContract killing, land grabbing, arms trafficking, television piracy, chop shops, extortion, racketeering, fraud, money laundering, loan sharking, pimping and illegal gambling
AlliesTerceiro Comando Puro
RivalsComando Vermelho, Amigos dos Amigos, Escritório do Crime

Liga da Justiça (lit. 'Justice League') is the largest militia organization in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro.[1] Its most famous members were former military police officer Ricardo Teixeira Cruz [pt], also known as "Batman",[2] former deputy Natalino José Guimarães [pt],[3] and former councilman Jerônimo Filho [pt], nicknamed Jerominho.[4] The name is a reference to the DC Comics superhero group of the same name, with the group also using the Batman logo as their symbol.[5]

History

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The criminal group was created between 1995 and 1996 in the neighborhood of Cosmos, in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro. Initially known as "Os Caras do Posto" ("The Gas Station Guys"), they operated from a Texaco station on the Guarujá Street, nearby the Flumitrens (now SuperVia) Cosmos railway station, and were led by Ricardo Teixeira Cruz and Aldemar Almeida dos Santos ("Robin"). The group rapidly expanded after its formation into the neighboring districts of Campo Grande, Inhoaíba, Paciência and Santíssimo, being later classified as a militia.[6]

Internal struggles

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In early 2009, a series of assassinations began among leaders of different militia groups.[7] On January 5, Carlos Alexandre Silva Cavalcante ("Gaguinho"), identified as a member of the militia and indicted by the parliamentary commission of inquiry into militias, was killed. Investigators later suspected that the murder had been ordered by members of the Justice League itself, since Cavalcante had participated in the arrest of Natalino Guimarães hours earlier.[8] Natalino Guimarães' brother, former city council member Jerônimo Guimarães ("Jerominho"), had also been arrested in a separate operation, and was later sentenced alongside 11 others for participating in the militia's activities.[9]

Ricardo Teixeira was arrested that same year,[5] and was sentenced in 2010 to 12 years in prison.[10][11] The group was then taken over by Toni Ângelo de Souza Aguiar ("Toni"),[12] and later by Marcos José Lima Gomes ("Gão"), after Toni was shot and arrested during a police operation in 2013.[13] Gão's eventual arrest in 2014 sparked another internal power struggle,[14] with Teixeira endorsing another militiaman nicknamed "Dentuço", while Toni backed former Terceiro Comando Puro (TCP) drug trafficker Carlos Alexandre da Silva Braga ("Carlinhos Três Pontes"), who was originally from the Três Pontes community in western Rio and considered a "close associate" of Toni.[15]

Dentuço, a known hitman for the militia, later disappeared after being kidnapped by 10 armed men in the Barbante community, in Campo Grande. Now with control of the faction, Carlinhos formed an alliance between the militia and his former faction, a phenomenon known as the "Narco-Militia," and reportedly renamed the group A Firma ("The Firm").[16] Carlinhos was killed in a police operation in 2017,[17] being succeeded by his brother, Wellington da Silva Braga ("Ecko"), who renamed the group to Bonde do Ecko ("Ecko's Tram"). Under his leadership, the militia expanded into the Baixada Fluminense region using a franchise-like system, where the faction provided weaponry and manpower to local groups, which in turn gave the militia a percentage of the profits.[18]

Lieutenant Danilo Dias Lima ("Tandera"), who was the leader of one of these "franchises" and a close ally of Ecko, broke away from the organization in 2020 after internal disputes, including the death of 12 militiamen in Itaguaí,[19] leading to a period of cold conflict.[20] Tandera also allied himself to other smaller militia groups during this period, such as the "Campinho" militia in northern Rio.[21] Ecko was killed during a raid on his family home in the Paciência neighborhood on June 12, 2021. He was succeeded by another member of the Braga Family, his brother Luís Antônio da Silva Braga ("Zinho"), who had previously managed the militia's finances. Under Zinho, the conflict with Tandera's faction escalated, including the burning of 7 vans in 2021, at the orders of Tandera.[22][23] On December 24, 2023, Zinho surrendered to the Federal Police of Brazil following consecutive operations against him.[24]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "Como Liga da Justiça se transformou no Bonde do Zinho, maior milícia do RJ" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2025-03-19. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  2. ↑ Giovanni, Pablo (2025-05-05). "Batman, ex-líder da "Liga da Justiça", vai para presídio em Brasília". www.metropoles.com (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  3. ↑ "Justiça determina soltura de ex-deputado Natalino suspeito de grilagem". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2026-02-06. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  4. ↑ "Saiba quem foi Jerominho, ex-vereador do Rio que fundou milícia junto com irmão". O Globo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2024-09-27. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  5. 1 2 "Eleições 2020: PF faz buscas nas casas de Jerominho e Natalino em operação contra milícia na eleição do Rio". O Globo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  6. ↑ "Chefe da Corregedoria integrou milícia, aponta investigação". BOL. Archived from the original on 2019-01-26. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  7. ↑ "Dia sangrento na guerra das milícias - O Globo". oglobo.globo.com. Archived from the original on 2009-01-27. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  8. ↑ dia, editora o. "O DIA Online - Milícias declaram guerra". odia.terra.com.br. Archived from the original on 2010-10-16. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  9. ↑ Rio, Do G1 (2012-12-11). "TJ-RJ condena 11 milicianos da 'Liga da Justiça' que atua na Zona Oeste". Rio de Janeiro (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2026-06-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ↑ redacaoterra. "Batman é condenado a 12 anos por liderar milícia no Rio". Terra (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  11. ↑ Giovanni, Pablo (2025-05-05). "Batman, ex-líder da "Liga da Justiça", vai para presídio em Brasília". www.metropoles.com (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  12. ↑ "Maior milícia do Rio pagava até R$ 40 mil por informações privilegiadas; dez são presos" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2021-11-28. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  13. ↑ marcello.victor. "Toni Ângelo é baleado e preso em Campo Grande | Rio de Janeiro | O Dia". odia.ig.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  14. ↑ "Contabilidade encontrada com miliciano Gão revela faturamento de até R$ 500 mil por mês". Extra Online (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2015-01-27. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  15. ↑ "Guerra interna divide milícias no Rio". Extra Online (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2025-04-24. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  16. ↑ Alessi, Gil (2019-05-08). "Os fundadores da milícia Liga da Justiça querem reerguer seu império político (e cuidar dos netos)". El País Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  17. ↑ "Polícia mata o homem que uniu milícia e tráfico no Rio". VEJA (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  18. ↑ "Entenda o que é o Bonde do Ecko, milícia mais procurada do Rio" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2025-07-23. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  19. ↑ "Polícia identifica os 12 mortos no confronto com comboio de milicianos em Itaguaí, RJ". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2020-10-16. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  20. ↑ "Como Liga da Justiça se transformou no Bonde do Zinho, maior milícia do RJ" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2022-08-26. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  21. ↑ "Milicianos rivais travam guerra por faturamento milionário na Zona Oeste". Extra Online (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2021-09-17. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  22. ↑ Globo, Agência O. (2021-09-16). "Vans são incendiadas na Zona Oeste do Rio; polícia apura guerra de milícias". iG (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  23. ↑ "Tandera, Zinho e Abelha: quem são os três criminosos mais procurados do Rio após ataques". O Globo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2023-10-24. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  24. ↑ "Zinho, miliciano mais procurado do RJ, se entrega à Polícia Federal". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2023-12-24. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
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