Three Máfia Azul members convicted for 2021 ambush killing of Atlético fan

Three members of the Máfia Azul organized fan group have been convicted by the Belo Horizonte Jury Court for the murder of 20-year-old Atlético fan Matheus de Freitas Ferreira and the attempted murder of nine others. The attack occurred in 2021 during an ambush on a bus carrying Atlético supporters in the Barreiro region of Belo Horizonte. Riquelme Enderson Ribeiro da Silva received a sentence of 48 years and 6 months, Luiz Gustavo da Silva Veloso was sentenced to 24 years, and Pedro Henrique Coimbra Braga received 20 years. This retrial followed the annulment of previous convictions by the Minas Gerais Court of Justice due to procedural irregularities. A fourth individual charged in the case will be tried separately, as their defense cited health issues and requested a postponement. The prosecution argued the attack was premeditated, while the defense presented their arguments to the jury. The indictment states that the bus was surrounded and attacked with various weapons, including clubs, iron bars, homemade bombs, fireworks, and Molotov cocktails. Matheus de Freitas Ferreira sustained severe injuries and died two days later, with nine other passengers also injured. The incident took place on November 28, 2021, after a match between Atlético and Fluminense at the Mineirão stadium. The bus, identified as line 6350, was reportedly destroyed in the attack, which involved supporters from groups like Galoucura among the passengers.