Antônio Francisco Bonfim Lopes

Antônio Francisco Bonfim Lopes (born 24 May 1976), also known as "Nem" (short for "nemesis"), is a Brazilian drug lord and one of the leaders of "Amigos dos Amigos". Lopes had a net worth of R$100 million ($60 million), was the undisputed head of all drug trafficking operations in Rocinha and branded by the Brazilian government as "Public Enemy #1".[1]

Antônio Francisco Bonfim Lopes
Born (1976-05-24) 24 May 1976
Rocinha, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
NationalityBrazilian
Other names"Nem"
"Nem of Rocinha"
"Dono do Morro" ("King of the Hill")
PredecessorOrlando Jose Rodrigues
Criminal statusIncarcerated
Spouse(s)Fabiana Escobar
Criminal chargeDrug trafficking and smuggling
Penalty12 years imprisonment

Early life

Lopes was born in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro. His parents moved from Paraíba, a state in northeast Brazil to escape the local poverty. Before he became involved in drug trafficking, Lopes worked as a delivery boy for a magazine company.[2]

Criminal career

Lopes became an enforcer and security guard for the leader of Amigos dos Amigos, Erismar Rodrigues Moreira, also known as "'Bem-Te-Vi'". When Moreira was killed in 2005, Lopes murdered Moreira's successor, Orlando Jose Rodrigues, and seized power as the new leader in 2007.[3] Under his reign over Rocinha, Lopes had 120 armed hitmen and was responsible for more than 60% of consumed cocaine in Rio.[4] He had connections with Bolivian cocaine dealers and brought 200 kilograms of cocaine from Bolivia per month.[5] Lopes lived in a luxurious 3-storey mansion in Rio and earned a reputation for his parties and relationships with many celebrities.

2011 arrest

On 10 November 2011, police arrested Lopes, who was hiding inside a Toyota Corolla, heading out of Rocinha.[6] Lopes attempted to bribe the police $570,000 but they refused, while the driver claimed diplomatic immunity.[7] Lopes was sentenced to 12 years in a maximum-security prison for drug charges. Following his arrest, Rocinha was occupied by a Pacifying Police Unit.[8]

Journalist and historian Misha Glenny has written the biography of Lopes, Nem: The Hunt for Brazil's Most Wanted Criminal. It was based on 28 hours of interviews with Lopes in prison, and was published by Bodley Head in 2015.[1]

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References
  1. Misha Glenny (13 September 2015). "The day I met Rio's favela master: the drug lord who championed the poor". The Guardian. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
  2. "Drug-dealing in Brazil - Single-handed | Books and arts". The Economist. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
  3. Héctor Silva Ávalos (2018-04-04). "Antônio Francisco Bonfim Lopes, alias 'Nem'". Insightcrime.org. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
  4. "Getting to Know the Drug Lord Who Controlled Rio's Biggest Slum". VICE. 2015-11-15. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
  5. Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro. "Brazilian 'drug lord' sees reign as 'king of the hill' end in car boot | World news". The Guardian. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
  6. "Brazil Rocinha drug lord 'Nem' jailed for 12 years - BBC News". Bbc.com. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
  7. "BBC News - Brazil police arrest alleged drug chief of Rocinha slum". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
  8. Yapp, Robin. "Antonio Francisco Bonfim Lopes: profile of the drugs baron". Telegraph. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
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