In Rio de Janeiro, some drug gangs are merging their criminal activities with elements of faith, claiming to be "soldiers of crime" under a divine mandate. The Pure Third Command, a powerful gang, uses religious symbols like the Star of David—adapted from Pentecostal beliefs—to mark their cocaine and marijuana. Their territory, a group of favelas now dubbed the Israel Complex, was claimed after a leader felt a "revelation from God," according to theologian Vivian Costa.
Interestingly, Pastor Diego Nascimento, a former gang member, advocates against the idea of being both a criminal and an evangelical believer, noting that Christian tenets contradict the drug trade. As Pentecostalism grows in Brazil, some gangs use it to fuel a campaign of violence against non-Christian faiths, particularly targeting Afro-Brazilian religions like Umbanda and Candomblé.
According to sociology professor Christina Vital, the community has long felt "under siege" due to gang presence, with reports of suppression of religious practices and even attacks on Afro-Brazilian temples tied to crime bosses and their followers. Experts argue that this trend marks a "neo-crusade" that threatens the constitutionally protected right to religious freedom in Brazil, highlighting the abusive grip of drug traffickers on the lives of local populations.
