Lewandowski removes management and orders intervention in prison

The Minister of Justice, Ricardo Lewandowski, determined on Wednesday (14.Feb.2024) the immediate removal of the current management of the Federal Penitentiary in Mossoró (RN) after the escape of 2 prisoners from the scene. The prison is one of the 5 maximum security prisons in Brazil – it was the first occurrence of its kind in a federal penitentiary in the country's history.

In note, the ministry said that a federal criminal police officer was appointed to command the unit. The agent, whose name was not disclosed, is already in Mossoró. He is part of the team that he embarked on with the National Secretary of Penal Policies, André Garcia.

The ministry has already had announced, on Wednesday (14.Feb), other measures taken by Lewandowski in light of the prisoner escape. The minister ordered review of equipment and safety protocols in the country's 5 federal penitentiaries.

Lewandowski called the General Directorate of the PF (Federal Police) to open investigations and instructed the corporation to register the names of fugitives in the Interpol Orange Diffusion System and the Border Protection System so that the 2 can be sought by the international police community.

The PRF (Federal Highway Police) must also monitor highways and support the recapture of fugitives, while Ficco (Integrated Forces to Combat Organized Crime) will collaborate with efforts to locate and arrest both.

The action already involves the engagement of more than 100 federal agents.

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The fugitives were identified as Rogério da Silva Mendonça (Tatu) and Deibson Cabral Nascimento (Deisinho), and are part of Comando Vermelho. They are from Acre and were transferred to the Mossoró prison in September 2023.

The Public Security Secretariat of Rio Grande do Norte said it made contact with the Public Security secretariats of Paraíba and Ceará to carry out integrated police reinforcement actions on the borders between the States.