Rogério Faria da Silva, 44, also known as ‘Morcegão,’ a prominent leader of Brazil’s infamous criminal organization, the First Commando da Capital (PCC), was arrested at the Giusfredo Santini Passenger Maritime Terminal in Santos. His capture took place on December 26 as he disembarked from the Costa Pacifica cruise ship after returning from a family vacation, which began on December 22.
The arrest was part of the Brazilian police’s ongoing “Narcos Operation,” conducted by the Division of General Investigations and the Special Operations Group of Limeira. The operation was supported by the 5th Tourist Service Detachment of Porto de Santos.
Morcegão, along with his family, had been vacationing aboard the Costa Pacifica, a cruise ship that travels along Brazil’s coast, stopping in various locations including Ilhabela, Angra dos Reis, Búzios, Rio de Janeiro, and Balneário Camboriú.
In a broader effort, the operation extended beyond Santos to Limeira, a city in São Paulo, where two additional individuals with ties to the PCC were arrested. Authorities executed two arrest warrants and 10 search and seizure warrants, leading to the discovery of over 400 bricks of cocaine, large sums of cash, a cash-counting machine, vehicles, mobile phones, and other relevant items. One of those arrested was a major drug distributor, while the other was a chemist involved in cocaine processing. Authorities found the chemist in the act of loading cocaine into an F250 pickup truck, with suspicions that the duo had moved the drugs after learning of Morcegão’s arrest.
The PCC is one of Brazil’s most powerful criminal factions, notorious for its activities in drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and other illegal enterprises.