Marco Willians Herbas Camacho, the top leader of the Primeiro Comando da Capital, will face a popular jury trial in May 2027 [1].
The trial represents a long-awaited legal reckoning for one of Brazil's most powerful organized crime figures. It addresses the orchestration of systemic violence against state security forces that paralyzed parts of São Paulo decades ago.
Known as Marcola, the PCC leader is accused of ordering and participating in the consummated and attempted homicide of military police officers [1]. These events occurred in May 2006 [2], starting in Jundiaí, São Paulo state [1]. The legal proceedings are scheduled to take place on May 11, 12, and 13, 2027, at the Fórum Criminal da Barra Funda in São Paulo [1].
The charges stem from a period of extreme violence known as the "Crimes of May" [1]. Over a duration of nine days [5], coordinated attacks targeted police officers across the region [1]. According to court records, the wave of violence resulted in 564 deaths [3], and 110 injuries [4].
Marcola's role in the 2006 attacks is central to the prosecution's case. The state said he directed the PCC to execute a campaign of terror against law enforcement to exert pressure on the prison system and the government [1].
This trial comes 21 years after the initial homicides took place [1]. The use of a popular jury means a group of citizens, rather than a single judge, will decide the verdict regarding the homicide and attempted homicide charges [1].
“The trial represents a long-awaited legal reckoning for one of Brazil's most powerful organized crime figures.”
The trial of Marcola for the 2006 attacks serves as a critical test of the Brazilian judicial system's ability to hold high-ranking gang leaders accountable for historical crimes. Because the PCC operates as a sophisticated criminal bureaucracy, the verdict may influence the perceived stability of the organization's leadership and the state's strategy for dismantling organized crime networks in São Paulo.
