Third Generation Gangs Strategic Note No. 12 Brazilian Prison Gangs Attack Civil Infrastructure in Fortaleza and other cities in Ceará State

<p> <h2> Violent attacks have rocked the Brazilian state of Cear&aacute; as a coalition of gangs &mdash; including the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), Comando Vermelho (CV), and their local counterparts Guardi&otilde;es do Estado (GDE), and Fam&iacute;lia do Norte (FDN) &mdash; waged a reprisal against state forces after the new prison administration announced enhanced security measures in the state prisons. The city of Fortaleza has been the focal point of the &lsquo;violent lobbying&rsquo;[1] Since 2 January, 205 criminal attacks have occurred in 46 cities in Cear&aacute; and about 360 individuals have been arrested. Ceara&rsquo;s security forces have been reinforced with the assistance of the Pol&iacute;cia Rodovi&aacute;ria Federal (PRF or Federal Highway Police). The attacks have included bombings and arson directed against vehicles (including buses and school transportation), police stations, public buildings, bridges, businesses, and banks. </h2></p>