It’s not unusual to see superheroes in the streets when it’s Carnival time in Brazil.
Batman, Superman and Spider-Man are common sights on the streets of São Paulo during what’s sometimes called the world’s biggest party.
But among the many people dressed in figure-hugging colorful lycra for this year’s festivities, four dressed as the 1990s-era Power Rangers really went the extra mile.
Footage shared by São Paulo authorities on Saturday showed what appeared to be the red, blue, yellow and green Power Rangers restraining a suspected phone thief in front of a crowd of Carnival revelers chanting “Power Rangers! Power Rangers!” in one scene, while a fifth Power Ranger – in black – brandishes a fistful of recovered devices in another.
“It’s morphin’ time!” wrote São Paolo’s governor Tarcísio Gomes de Freitas in a post on X, in which he revealed the “Power Rangers” were in fact undercover law enforcement officers taking a novel approach to crime at the festival.
He alleged that as a result of the arrest, police had recovered four more stolen phones and roughly $2,425 in cash.
“Our Civil Police Power Rangers are putting on another show this Carnival!” he added.
Brazil’s most populous state says gangs specializing in theft and robberies often take advantage of large crowds at festival time, and credits its strategy of disguising undercover police as partygoers for significant declines in festival-related crimes.
“Over the pre-Carnival weekend, 880 cases of cell phone theft and robbery were reported, a significant drop from the 2,344 cases recorded in the same period last year,” São Paulo’s government said recently.
The police don’t just dress up as Power Rangers, however. Last month, police released an image of an officer dressed as the Mexican parody superhero “El Chapulin Colorado” (the Red Grasshopper) escorting a handcuffed suspect.
Brazil’s festivities will continue until the first day of Lent in the Christian calendar, which this year falls on March 5.