Amigos dos Amigos
Encyclopedia
Amigos dos Amigos is a criminal organization
that operates in the Brazil
ian city of Rio de Janeiro
. It was started up in 1998 when a member of Comando Vermelho
was expelled from the organization for ordering the murder of another member. The gang's main rivals are Comando Vermelho
and Terceiro Comando Puro
. ADA controls many drug selling points in the North and West zones.
ADA currently controls Rocinha
, the largest favela
in Rio de Janeiro, along with many other smaller favelas. With the assassination of the gang leader Bem-Te-Vi in 2005 by police, there was a renewed wave of violence as gangs fought for control over favelas previously controlled by ADA.
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
that operates in the Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian city of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. It was started up in 1998 when a member of Comando Vermelho
Comando Vermelho
Comando Vermelho is a Brazilian criminal organization founded in 1979 in the prison Cândido Mendes, on the Ilha Grande island, Rio de Janeiro, as a collection of ordinary convicts and left-wing political prisoners who were members of the Falange Vermelha , which fought the military dictatorship...
was expelled from the organization for ordering the murder of another member. The gang's main rivals are Comando Vermelho
Comando Vermelho
Comando Vermelho is a Brazilian criminal organization founded in 1979 in the prison Cândido Mendes, on the Ilha Grande island, Rio de Janeiro, as a collection of ordinary convicts and left-wing political prisoners who were members of the Falange Vermelha , which fought the military dictatorship...
and Terceiro Comando Puro
Terceiro Comando Puro
Terceiro Comando Puro is a Brazilian criminal organization in Rio de Janiero. They split from the Terceiro Comando in 2002. .The group concentrates in the northern and eastern areas , specifically in the neighborhood of Senador Camara,...
. ADA controls many drug selling points in the North and West zones.
ADA currently controls Rocinha
Rocinha
Rocinha is the largest favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and is located in Rio's South Zone between the districts of São Conrado and Gávea. Rocinha is built on a steep hillside overlooking Rio de Janeiro, and is located about one kilometre from a nearby beach...
, the largest favela
Favela
A favela is the generally used term for a shanty town in Brazil. In the late 18th century, the first settlements were called bairros africanos . This was the place where former slaves with no land ownership and no options for work lived. Over the years, many freed black slaves moved in...
in Rio de Janeiro, along with many other smaller favelas. With the assassination of the gang leader Bem-Te-Vi in 2005 by police, there was a renewed wave of violence as gangs fought for control over favelas previously controlled by ADA.