Police arrest substitute organised-crime leader in Rio Grande do Sul
Marcos da Silva Oliveira, 36, was captured on Friday night (the 10th) on the RS-135 highway in Getúlio Vargas, in northern Rio Grande do Sul. Known by the nicknames “Marquinhos” and “Mãe”, he is identified by Denarc as the leading name in the hierarchy of a criminal group operating in Porto Alegre and the Metropolitan Region.
How the arrest happened
The operation was coordinated by the State Department for Drug Trafficking Investigations, with support from the Federal Highway Police, the Military Brigade and teams from the 11th Police Region. Marquinhos was travelling from Paraná and, according to investigators, tried to dodge the approach by changing his route and avoiding the Federal Highway Police checkpoints. It did not work. The security forces set up a cordon on the stretch of the RS-135 and intercepted the vehicle.
He was a fugitive and had an open preventive detention warrant for the crimes of homicide and receiving stolen goods. On being detained, he was taken directly to the prison system.
The void left by “Nego Jackson”
Marquinhos’s rise within the organisation is directly linked to the death of Jackson Peixoto Rodrigues, “Nego Jackson”, which occurred in November 2024 at the Canoas State Penitentiary. With the fall of the former boss, Oliveira came to centralise the group’s drug and weapons logistics, as well as controlling the structure’s financial movements.
According to detective Joel Wagner, of Denarc, the suspect held a consolidated position in the chain of command. The investigations also point to possible connections with members of the PCC and the Comando Vermelho in the border region with Paraguay – a line of investigation that remains ongoing.
Extensive record, a future in the courts
Marquinhos has a record for drug trafficking, homicide and illegal possession of a firearm. There is also suspicion of involvement in money laundering. The arrest represents a significant blow to the group’s operational structure, but the criminal leadership in the state remains under investigation. He remains at the disposal of the courts.
