Operation arrests trio linked to criminal group investigated for murder and drug trafficking in Natal

According to investigations, Gabriel was found dead on May 6, 2026, on the shores of Lagoa Azul. The police found that he had gone to a drug sales point in the Pajuçara neighborhood, where he was identified as an alleged police informant.

Still according to the investigation, the victim was tied up and subjected to the so-called “crime court”. Afterwards, she was allegedly taken to a forested area on the banks of the lake, where she was tortured, shot and dismembered.

The two men arrested on suspicion of participation in the homicide are aged 25 and 20. The third, 21 years old, was arrested red-handed for other crimes identified during the operation.

According to the Civil Police, the three men are linked to the criminal group being investigated. They were taken to the police station and, after legal procedures, sent to the prison system.

The action, called Operation Águas Turvas, was coordinated by the Civil Police of Rio Grande do Norte, with support from the Criminal Police, to execute temporary arrest and search and seizure warrants.