Drug-dealers war in Rio de Janeiro

At least 11 people were killed Dec. 26 and 27 in neighborhood gang turf fights between drug dealers at shantytown "morro da Mineira" (Miner Hill) in the Catumbi neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The fight originated when Gilson Ramos da Silva, 21, a.k.a. "Gilson Aritana," a member of the ADA ("Amigos do Bairro") gang led other members into the "morro da Mineira" (Miner Hill) to sell  drugs, Ricardo Teixeira Dias, a local police official said.

The region is controlled by rival gang Comando Vermelho (Red Command), which does not approve of other gangs selling drugs in the region. Comando Vermelho members started attacking the rival members of ADA to protect their turf.

On Dec. 26, one man was killed and five others hurt in a gang gunfight with police. There was panic and several residents from the neighborhood could not get into their houses and were forced to seek shelter elsewhere. That afternoon, a burned body was found at Presidente Vargas Ave. near "Sambódromo" plaza not far from "morro da Mineira".

Police found seven beheaded and burned bodies at "morro da Mineira", in a dump area. The police arrived there after receiving an anonymous tip presumably from a resident of the neighborhood.

The police believe there are more dead at nearby "morro do Zinco" (Zinc Hill) neighborhood. The morning of Dec. 27, Anderson Santos de Oliveira, 21, was killed by the police in a gunfight. The police said he was carrying a .38 calibre pistol, a 380 pistol and marijuana. By 4:00 P.M. Luciano da Costa Pinto, 22, had also been killed by police in a different incident where police recovered rifles and drugs.