How a Prison Gang Inspired by Hollywood Heists Stole $23 Million
In meticulously planned bank-robbing operations, Brazil’s PCC has emerged as almost a parallel state—and an alarming expansion into cocaine trafficking has law enforcement bracing for increasingly bold showdowns.
In the passenger seat of the speeding squad car, Anselmo Cruz adjusted his bulletproof vest. It was just before midnight on Nov. 30, 2020, and the first call for reinforcements had gone out 10 minutes ago. A tractor-trailer was on fire in front of the military police barracks in the Brazilian city of Criciúma, 130 miles south of Cruz’s home base in Florianópolis. Now his iPhone lit up with a video. A second truck was on fire, this one blocking a tunnel between the two cities.
For over a decade, Cruz had been in charge of investigating major crimes and robberies for Santa Catarina, one of Brazil’s wealthiest and safest states—a destination for the South American jet set, who come for the sandy beaches and luxury condos. But its topography also made Criciúma an obvious target for criminals. With the ocean to the east and mountains to the west, there were many ways to escape.