set thirteen years after tropa de elite 1, again in the drug and crime - plagued favelas of rio de janeiro, the film examines the intertwined link between rio's violent crime scene and political and police corruption.

wagner moura returns as nascimento, promoted from squad captain of rio's bope (batalhão de operações policiais especiais - special police operation battalion) to high ranking security officer after a prison riot breaks out.

a different type of film to the first one, here phenomenal action scenes are executed, but there is also a greater focus on nascimento's on-going conflict between work and family life, after his wife has left him and as he struggles to deal with limited access to his son.

as nascimento works to eradicate the drug lords and street violence from rio's slums he gradually discovers the role of corruption of his fellow officers and politicians.