ARAGUARI, MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL – JUNE 30, 2025 In the late evening hours, an armed clash between a gang and the Military Police (PMMG) left five gang members dead. No police officers were killed, though two sustained minor injuries.
The incident began when officers on routine patrol in the Bairro Brasília district spotted a silver Fiat Freemont, which had been reported stolen and was linked to multiple robberies and murders. When ordered to stop, the driver fled, triggering a dramatic chase that ended at a gas station on Avenida Coronel Teodolino Pereira de Araújo.
There, the gangsters exited the vehicle and immediately opened fire on the officers. Police returned fire and neutralized all five suspects. Three died at the scene, while two were transported in critical condition to a hospital, where they later succumbed to their injuries.
Following the shootout, police seized multiple weapons from the gang’s vehicle, including pistols, a submachine gun, and even a bulletproof vest. In Brazil, such confiscated items are either destroyed or repurposed by law enforcement to fight organized crime. Sadly, due to corruption, some of these weapons still find their way back onto the black market.
The deceased gang members were identified as: 25-year-old Wellington da Silva Paulino, 26-year-old Douglas Vinícius Gomes de Morais, 23-year-old João Pedro Martins Silvestre, 21-year-old Lucas Eduardo Gomes dos Santos, and 22-year-old André Luiz Ramo. Despite their young ages, all had extensive criminal records involving illegal arms possession, robbery, and drug trafficking.
