Celso Luiz Rodrigues, known as “Celsinho da Vila Vintém,” became one of the best-known figures in the history of organized crime in Rio de Janeiro. He was identified by Brazilian authorities and historical reporting as a founder of Amigos dos Amigos, commonly known as ADA, an organization that emerged from divisions within Rio’s criminal landscape during the 1990s.
Celsinho's criminal career began before the creation of ADA. Contemporary reporting stated that he was first arrested as a teenager and later became involved in robberies and drug trafficking. By the 1990s, he had established significant influence in Vila Vintém, in Padre Miguel, in Rio's West Zone. Police investigations at the time described him as one of the most important criminal figures operating in the area.
While imprisoned, Celsinho joined Ernaldo Pinto de Medeiros, known as “Uê,” in the formation of Amigos dos Amigos. Historical accounts place the creation of ADA in the late 1990s, following Uê's break with Comando Vermelho. The new organization subsequently formed an alliance with Terceiro Comando in opposition to Comando Vermelho.
Celsinho's influence expanded during the following years. Police sources cited by Folha de S.Paulo described him as controlling drug-trafficking activity in a large number of communities in Rio's West Zone and parts of the North Zone. Those figures reflected police assessments from the period and should not be treated as independently verified measurements.
His relationship with the criminal underworld also resulted in multiple convictions. Historical reporting documented convictions involving drug trafficking, robbery and other offenses, while later Brazilian reporting stated that his accumulated sentences exceeded thirty years. The precise total varied according to the judicial proceedings and sentence calculations in different periods.
Celsinho spent many years in prison and was eventually released in October 2022 after the judicial system determined that there was no remaining definitive custodial sentence requiring his continued imprisonment in the relevant proceeding. At that time, media reports noted his historical role in ADA and his influence in Vila Vintém.
His return to freedom was temporary. In May 2025, Rio de Janeiro police arrested Celsinho again in Vila Vintém. The Public Prosecutor's Office alleged that he had resumed involvement in drug trafficking and criminal association and accused him of participating in arrangements concerning territorial disputes in Rio. These allegations were the subject of a new criminal proceeding rather than established facts at the time of the arrest.
In June 2025, a court accepted the Public Prosecutor's charges and ordered Celsinho's preventive detention. According to Agência Brasil, the accusations included drug trafficking and association with drug trafficking. The prosecution alleged that he had established new alliances involving different criminal groups to regain control of territories previously lost to militias.
The 2025 investigation also resulted in a major financial measure. The Rio de Janeiro Public Prosecutor's Office announced the blocking of up to six billion Brazilian reais in assets and values connected to the investigation. The measure was part of the authorities' effort to investigate and disrupt the financial structure allegedly associated with the organization.
Celsinho's historical importance comes primarily from his role in the formation of ADA and his influence over Vila Vintém and other areas during the organization's early years. His story also reflects the successive alliances and rivalries that shaped organized crime in Rio de Janeiro from the 1990s onward.
As of the latest available reporting, Celsinho da Vila Vintém remains subject to the criminal proceedings initiated in 2025. His previous convictions are legally distinct from the newer accusations, which remain matters for the Brazilian courts to determine.
SOURCES
Ministério Público do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (MPRJ) — Celsinho da Vila Vintém and the 2025 investigation
Agência Brasil — Court accepts charges against Celsinho da Vila Vintém
Folha de S.Paulo — Profile of Celsinho da Vila Vintém
CNN Brasil — Who is Celsinho da Vila Vintém
UOL Notícias — Celsinho's release and history with ADA
