sting operation
[/stɪŋ ˌɑːpəˈreɪʃən/]
nounpl: sting operations
operação encoberta
1. A carefully planned law enforcement operation in which undercover agents pose as criminals or victims to catch suspected wrongdoers in the act of committing a crime
The police department conducted a sting operation to catch the drug dealers operating in the neighborhood.
O departamento de polícia realizou uma operação encoberta para prender os traficantes que operavam no bairro.
2. A deceptive scheme or trap set up to catch someone doing something illegal or unethical
The newspaper ran a sting operation to expose the corruption in the city government.
O jornal realizou uma operação encoberta para expor a corrupção no governo municipal.
Sting operations are significant in American law enforcement culture and frequently featured in crime dramas and news reports. In Brazil, similar operations (operações encobertas) are conducted by federal police and military police, though they receive varying degrees of media attention depending on the region and political context. The term reflects the difference between American and Brazilian policing strategies, with sting operations being more formalized and widely publicized in the U.S.
NYC Slang
setup operation; the feds runnin' a sting
Related Idioms & Phrases
to set up a sting operation
to conduct a sting operation
to fall for a sting operation
caught in a sting operation
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