LUÍS GOMES, RIO GRANDE DO NORTE, BRAZIL – MARCH 15, 2025 Four members of the Brazilian criminal organization Nova Okaida were killed during a shootout with police. Officers moved against the group after receiving information about the movements of armed men who, according to investigators, were planning an attack on members of a rival gang. When police attempted to arrest them, a shootout broke out, during which all four suspects were killed.
According to police, those killed included the local faction leader, Francisco Genário Carneiro de Souza, known by the nickname Genário. Firearms, ammunition, a bulletproof vest, drugs, and other equipment were seized at the scene. Investigators stated that the group members had committed numerous serious crimes and that multiple arrest warrants had been issued for them.
Nova Okaida is a Brazilian criminal organization operating primarily in the country’s northeastern region. It was formed as a breakaway faction of the older Okaida gang and is mainly involved in drug trafficking, armed attacks, murders, and territorial disputes with rival gangs. Although its name references the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda, Brazilian authorities say there is no ideological or organizational connection between the two; it is purely a criminal group.
