In 2019, the Governor of the State of São Paulo, João Dória, extinguished the group and its members were moved to the newly created Department of Strategic Police Operations (Departamento de Operações Policiais Estratégicas).

Founded in 1991, the GOE served to assist conventional police units in high risk operations involving dangerous criminals, hostages, terrorisms, and uprisings in the prison system.

The São Paulo GOE has about 200 members, a fleet of 60 vehicles, 5 tactical subdivisions, as well as a specialized Delta unit with its own intelligence service and plain-clothes police and unmarked cars, as well as administrative divisions.

The group has an operational base located in the Campo Belo neighborhood, south side, where there is the necessary infrastructure for civilian police can carry out their missions and training.

The officers of the GOE are enabled in personnel including action and combat CBRN emergencies, anti-irregular military, apprehension of armed and dangerous criminals, combat and patrolling in urban areas, combat defense in confined environments, counterterrorism and hostage rescue crisis management, defusing and disposal of bombs, fast tactical shooting commitment, patrolling and displacement in areas of high risk, providing security in areas at risk of attack or terrorism, support crowd control and riot control, tactical driving, and other activities of special operations.