Two men were killed in a shootout and two were arrested in Operation Herba Nefanda II, an integrated Maranhão security operation carried out in the early hours of 28 April 2026 in the Aldeia Bananal area, between the municipalities of Grajaú and Barra do Corda.[1] Police said the officers were executing arrest and search warrants that the 2nd Court of Grajaú had issued against criminal leaders involved in interstate drug trafficking and homicides in the region.[2]

At one target site, in the Sobradinho hamlet, two men opened fire on officers; police returned fire and both were hit and died, and officers seized a .40-calibre pistol and a Glock pistol magazine.[1] g1 reported that the two dead men were from Pernambuco and were described as leaders of the local cannabis cultivation and suspects in a homicide in the region.[2]

At another site, police arrested two suspects, reported by g1 to be from Bahia, and seized long guns, a .32-calibre revolver, a large quantity of cannabis being dried and various tools used to cultivate and sell the drug.[1] g1 reported that the two arrested men were charged with drug trafficking, association for trafficking and illegal possession of a firearm.[2]

Officers found more than three cannabis plots at an advanced stage of maturation, with more than 80,000 plants, and burned the entire plantation on the spot.[1] g1 reported that the plots were spread out to make them harder to find and that samples were collected for forensic examination before they were burned.[2]

The operation involved teams from the 15th Regional Police Station of Barra do Corda and the 1st Police District of Grajaú, Military Police units of the 5th Battalion (GOE and ALI), the State Public Security Force (FEISP), the COSAR rural survival operations command, the Air Tactical Centre based in Presidente Dutra and the Grajaú municipal guard.[1] Police took the two prisoners and all the seized material to the Civil Police station to record the case and formalise the judicial police procedures.[1]