Antônio Francisco Bonfim Lopes

Born|  (1976-05-24) 24 May 1976 (age 46)

Rocinha, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Nationality| Brazilian
Other names| "Nem"
"Nem of Rocinha"
"Dono do Morro" ("King of the Hill")
Predecessor| Orlando Jose Rodrigues
Criminal status| Incarcerated
Spouse(s)| Danubia Rangel
Criminal charge| Drug trafficking and smuggling
Penalty| 12 years imprisonment

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]

## Contents

* 1 Early life
* 2 Criminal career
* 3 2011 arrest
* 4 References

## Early life[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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]

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b 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.