While the militia claim that they are filling a need of the community, they act in defiance of the law, taking advantage of their power to exploit locals for profit. They commonly sell products and services, such as protective services, at increased prices.

These groups have caused considerable controversy since they gained notoriety in the early 2000s - some residents have shown support, seeing them as an effective force against criminal organizations and somewhat preferrable alternative to the oppression by drug-traffickers while others have been highly critical of them, seeing them as a treacherous manifestation of organized crime.

In 2008, the Comissão Parlamentar de Inquérito (CPI) (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry) was implemented to investigate the actions of militias. Since the release of the CPI's report in 2008 a considerable number of militia members have been apprehended. As such Operação Valkíria (Operation Valkyrie) in June 2015 oversaw the arrest of individuals, thought to have organized and run illegal operations in Campo Grande.