The Guardiões do Estado (in English: Guardian of the State), or the acronym GDE, is a Brazilian criminal faction. It operates in the state of Ceará.
 Marking the territory of the criminal faction | |
| Founded | 1 January 2016 |
|---|---|
| Founding location | Conjunto Palmeiras, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil |
| Years active | 2016-present |
| Territory | Ceará, Brazil |
| Activities | Murder, drug trafficking, extortion, assault and rebellion |
| Allies | Terceiro Comando Puro,[1] Primeiro Comando da Capital[2] |
| Rivals | Comando Vermelho, Família do Norte[3] |
It is the 4th largest faction in Brazil and is made up mostly of poorly prepared teenagers,[4] pre-teens and young adults.[5] One of the main reasons would be the lack of monthly fees.[6]
The faction was founded on January 1, 2016, in the community of Conjunto Palmeiras.[7][8]
Faction power is decentralized, so there is no overall faction leader. Currently, it is known for burning buses, massacres and homicides in the state,[9] the most notable being the Massacre of Cajazeiras.[10][11]
See also
- Primeiro Comando da Capital
- Comando Vermelho
- Massacre of Cajazeiras(pt)
- Attacks in Ceará in 2019(pt)