Six police officers are accused of killing a tourist guide in Caraíva (BA)

Operation Travessia was carried out on May 10, 2025 with the aim of combating drug trafficking in the resort, which is one of the main tourist destinations in southern Bahia.

One of the victims of the police action was tour guide Victor Cerqueira Santos Santana, 28, known as Vitinho. He worked with boat and buggy tours and, according to family, friends and community residents, he had no connection with criminal organizations.

The second victim was Davisson Sampaio dos Santos, known as Alongado, identified by the police as suspected of leading a criminal group active in the region and who had an open arrest warrant. A third man was arrested during the operation.

In a statement, the Civil Police of Bahia said that it does not comply with any act of violence or conduct that contradicts current legal criteria and standards. The case is monitored through an investigation initiated by the internal affairs department.

The Military Police were contacted this Friday morning (17), but have not commented on the complaint so far.

The police officers were reported on suspicion of qualified homicides for ill-conceived reasons, using means that resulted in common danger, a resource that made it difficult to defend the victims and the use of a restricted firearm.

The Prosecutor's Office also asked the Court for the precautionary removal of the six police officers while the case is being processed. The case will still be analyzed by the Court, which will decide whether the agents will become defendants.

The evidence gathered in the Criminal Investigative Procedure indicates that the deaths occurred "outside a concrete situation of confrontation", in circumstances in which the victims were in a vulnerable condition in the face of the actions of the police.

The MP-BA states that Davisson Sampaio dos Santos, known as Elongado, was hit by several shots on a public street, with no possibility of reaction.

Victor Cerqueira Santos Santana was approached by the police, searched and his cell phone was analyzed. Afterwards, he was hit in the face and forced to lie on the floor, according to the Prosecutor's Office. He then received two shots that came from the gun of one of the police officers.

At the time of the operation in Caraíva, the Public Security Secretariat of the Jerônimo Rodrigues (PT) government reported that two suspects died after an exchange of gunfire with police officers.

Ballistics expertise, however, did not identify lead particles in the hands of the two victims.

Civil police officers were also accused of procedural fraud. According to the Prosecutor's Office, they had "artificially altered the state of affairs" after the deaths. The possible participation of military police officers in this same crime will be analyzed by the Military Audit Court.

The police allegedly removed the bodies from the scene before the investigation, prevented the movement of people in the area, collected projectiles and seized storage devices from nearby security cameras without judicial authorization.

The MP also states that the police presented a weapon saying it belonged to Victor to support the thesis of self-defense, but witnesses stated that he was unarmed throughout the approach. Witness reports indicate that, at the time of the operation, Victor was waiting for guests near the banks of the Caraíva River to take them to an inn in the village.

Victor's death caused strong repercussions in Caraíva. Residents organized a protest and blocked access to the ferries that cross the river, the main entrance to the village.

Business owners also reported that, after the operation, criminals imposed a curfew, leading to the closure of bars, restaurants and other establishments. At the time, the SSP denied that there was a curfew.

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