The Civil Police of Rio launched an operation to arrest suspects involved in the death of three boys who disappeared in the Castelar community, in Belford Roxo (RJ), in 2020.
In all, 16 people have been arrested. Another 15 targets had already been detained.
According to the police, Lucas Matheus da Silva, 9, his cousin Alexandre da Silva, 11, and their friend Fernando Henrique Soares, 12, were killed after being tortured by drug traffickers.
According to investigators, the boys were tortured because they stole a birdcage from a drug dealer's uncle. The boys' mothers challenged this version.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon