Police in Piracicaba, São Paulo, arrested three suspects during a drug operation on October 21, 2026, after images surfaced of the detainees wearing pro-Lula t-shirts, prompting accusations from family members and lawmakers of a staged police setup.
An anti-narcotics operation conducted by the 10th Interior Military Police Battalion and the 10th Special Actions Police Battalion in the Vitória Pantanal community on October 21, 2026, escalated into a political dispute. Officers detained two adults aged 21 and 24, along with a 17-year-old adolescent, during a raid near Rua Senador Saraiva.
PM de São Paulo é acusada de tomar camisetas de Lula de moradoras e obrigar detidos a vesti-las em Piracicaba. Derrite divulgou a foto dos jovens. A SSP afirma que pune desvios de conduta comprovados.Crédito nos comentários pic.twitter.com/HUKkQgs9eZ
According to the police report, authorities seized 160 portions of cocaine, a revolver, and R$ 340 in cash.
Suspects Wearing Lula Shirts Spark Online Debate
Controversy ignited when photographs of the three suspects wearing identical t-shirts supporting President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva spread across social media.
The images were originally published on Instagram by newly elected Guilherme Derrite, who praised the police action, argued that crime not can be relativized
in translation, and reiterated calls for a reduction in the age of criminal responsibility.
However, Edna Souza Barbosa, the 33-year-old mother of the detained minor, strongly disputed the official account. In interviews with multiple outlets, she stated that her son was wearing a blue tank top at the time of the police encounter rather than any political attire. She alleged that officers forced the detainees into matching garments afterward to generate online engagement.
(…) Nós seguimos defendendo leis mais duras, punição de verdade e REDUÇÃO DA MAIORIDADE PENAL JÁ!Parabéns aos policiais do 10º Batalhão de Polícia Militar do Interior (BPM/I) e do 10º Batalhão de Ações Especiais de Polícia (BAEP).
My son was wearing a blue tank top, he was not wearing a Lula shirt. […] They don’t care about the election. He wasn’t wearing the shirt, but not with a Lula shirt.
Barbosa also accused the officers of physical aggression during the operation, stating that police struck her 14-year-old daughter when she tried to intervene.
Residents Report Intimidation Over Political Clothing
The operation also drew scrutiny following separate claims from two female residents in the same community. According to accounts shared by state lawmaker Professora Bebel, two local women walking through the neighborhood reported being accosted by police officers who questioned them about t-shirts bearing support for the president.
One resident stated that she was kicked after refusing to hand over her shirt because she would be left wearing only her bra. The women stated that officers entered a home to confiscate additional clothing items, reportedly remarking that they required multiple pieces.
The disputed garments worn during these encounters were identified as belonging to the Teachers’ Union of Official Education of the State of São Paulo, known as Apeoesp, which had participated in a morning pro-re-election demonstration organized by student movements at the Luiz de Queiroz Higher School of Agriculture.
Lawmakers Demand Investigation into Police Conduct
State Representative Professora Bebel announced plans to bring the allegations directly to the Military Police Ombudsman to demand a full investigation and accountability for the officers involved. During her statements, she invoked historical parallels to the 1989 kidnapping of businessman Abílio Diniz, when suspects were similarly presented to the press wearing political party shirts.
Em Piracicaba, uma ação da Polícia Militar resultou na apreensão de 160 invólucros de cocaína, um revólver e dinheiro. Dois adultos foram indiciados e um adolescente foi envolvido na ocorrência. Crime não pode ser relativizado (…) pic.twitter.com/eTZkBsSWh9
The São Paulo Secretariat of Public Security responded through its press office by stating that the department does not tolerate behavioral deviations and handles proven infractions severely. The agency added that no formal complaints regarding the alleged intimidation in Vitória Pantanal had been logged prior to the public reports and advised victims to file formal grievances through digital police channels or the internal affairs office.
The formal police case involving the narcotics seizure and weapons possession was registered at the 2nd Police District of Piracicaba, leaving the two adult suspects atkes disposal of the justice system while the adolescent remained in custody pending further legal review.
