MJSP: Homicides at lowest level of decade with R$ 11 billion against organised crime
The Ministry of Justice released results from the first four months of 2026, showing a 25% drop in homicides and the launch of the Brazil Against Organised Crime programme.
Brazil registers lowest homicide rate in ten years in early 2026
The Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP) recorded the lowest number of homicides of the decade for the first three months of a year, with a reduction of 25% compared to 2022. The data appears in the Management Report for the 1st Four-Month Period of 2026, released by gov.br on 12 May.
Armed robberies fell 48.1% and vehicle thefts dropped 42.3% in the same period. In the opposite direction, the execution of arrest warrants rose 37.1%, weapon seizures increased 42.7% and ammunition seizures rose 400%.
"The data show that Brazil is not only reducing violence but changing the way we confront it. Today, we work with integration between security forces, intensive use of intelligence and coordinated action across the country. This allows us not only to learn more but to prevent crimes and save lives," said Minister Wellington César Lima e Silva.
Brazil Against Organised Crime Programme
Launched on 12 May 2026, the programme coordinates federal, state and municipal actions along four fronts: financial asphyxiation of criminal organisations, combating arms trafficking, upgrading homicide investigation and strengthening the prison system. The planned investment is R$ 1 billion direct from the Union, with an additional R$ 10 billion via BNDES directed to states and municipalities.
The period was also marked by the approval of two legal landmarks. The Anti-Faction Law (Law No. 15.358/2026), signed in March, establishes for the first time in the Brazilian legal framework the legal figure of a criminal faction and tightens mechanisms to combat organised crime. The Public Security PEC, approved in the Chamber with 487 votes, constitutionalises the Unified Public Security System and guarantees continuous funding to the sector.
Federal operations and institutional reinforcement
Operation Disarmament resulted in 2,123 arrests, the seizure of 595 weapons and estimated losses of R$ 562.5 million to organised crime. The Federal Police received authorisation to appoint up to 1,370 new civil servants. The Safer Municipality Programme already serves 94 municipalities, with R$ 170.6 million invested.
In the area of violence against women, the Integrated Safe Woman Centre (CIMS), launched in March with an investment of R$ 28 million, connects 27 state situation rooms for integrated monitoring of cases. Operation Safe Woman resulted in 4,936 arrests in 26 federal units.
In partnership with the National Council of Justice (CNJ), the MJSP held 98 auctions of seized assets, selling 2,451 assets and raising R$ 35.7 million, proceeds reinvested in public security initiatives.
The actions during the four-month period were organised along five thematic axes — organised crime, violence against women, digital rights, consumer protection and access to justice — with simultaneous and coordinated action between federal, state and municipal forces.
Source: Google News BR — Crime