A leader of a criminal faction from Mato Grosso was arrested in Asunción, Paraguay, this Thursday (3). The operation was supported by the US Drug Enforcement Agency.
In 2022, he was investigated for digging a 257-meter tunnel in Cuiabá. The person under investigation also coordinated the faction's financial activities.
In October 2025, the police seized 2 tons of marijuana on his farm. He is also suspected of participating in bank robberies.
A man identified as the head of a criminal faction was arrested while serving a preventive arrest warrant in the city of Asunción, Paraguay, this Thursday (3). The identity of the person under investigation, who was on the run from the police, was not disclosed.
The action included the participation of the Civil Police of Mato Grosso, through the Management to Combat Organized Crime (GCCO/Draco) and the Management of Polinter and Captures (Gepol), in addition to the National Police of Paraguay and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of the United States.
A video recorded by agents during the incident shows officers entering the house where the man was living.
The man was located using false documentation. According to the police, this practice had already been registered in February 2023, when he was located in Pontes e Lacerda (MT) and identified with a forged document.
In October 2025, GCCO teams seized around two tons of marijuana in a farm linked to the person under investigation. At the time, four people were arrested.
The police also point to the man as a suspect in a robbery at a financial institution known as “Novo Cangaço”, in which heavily armed groups attack banks and take residents or workers hostage to hinder police action.
In 2022, he was cited in an investigation into the excavation of a tunnel measuring approximately 257 meters, built from a house in Cuiabá towards the Central State Penitentiary (PCE).
Investigations showed that the structure would be used to rescue members of the faction who were trapped in the unit. The investigations also identified the role of the person being investigated in the administration of the faction's resources, especially in the scheme called “Raspa Brasil Nacional”.
According to the police, he was appointed as state coordinator and worked on defining financial guidelines and expanding the activity in Mato Grosso.
Monitoring recorded the person being investigated carrying banners and promotional materials for the scratch cards. Analysis of cell phones also identified video calls and communications with other members responsible for the scheme.
According to investigations, he demanded spreadsheets with information about commercial establishments, number of tickets distributed, amounts collected and transfer percentages. In case of non-compliance, the guidance was to activate the faction's so-called “discipline”.
After leaving Mato Grosso, the suspect remained for a period in Rio de Janeiro, where, according to the Civil Police, he maintained contact with other members of the faction.
Subsequently, information obtained during investigations indicated that he had left the country, leading the search to Paraguay. Even though he was on the run, he remained active on social media using false identities.
In February 2026, he published images taken in Rio de Janeiro alongside a woman who had five outstanding arrest warrants.
In another publication, he appeared with a firearm with the characteristics of a rifle. Posts related to physical activities, bars and other aspects of their routine were also identified.
