In a significant law enforcement action, the Brazilian Federal Police (PF) carried out a search and seizure warrant at a luxury mansion in Búzios, located in the Lagos Region of Rio de Janeiro, on Thursday. The operation is part of a broader investigation into an international drug trafficking network.
The investigation centers on a sophisticated scheme that allegedly used coffee shipments to smuggle large quantities of cocaine internationally. Authorities report that the criminal organization utilized companies and structures linked to foreign trade to conceal the illicit cargo and facilitate its overseas transport.
The operation, dubbed 'Operação Missão Redentor II,' stems from the seizure of approximately 1.2 tons of cocaine hidden within a container loaded with bags of coffee back in June 2025. That shipment was reportedly destined for Germany.
According to investigators, the group employed front companies and 'straw men' to simulate legitimate coffee exports while hiding the drug shipments. The organization allegedly had a defined structure, with members responsible for negotiations, financial movements, and transport logistics.
During the operation, two suspects were arrested—one in Santos, São Paulo, and another in Vila Velha, Espírito Santo. The owner of the searched mansion is under investigation but was neither arrested nor declared a fugitive. The judiciary also ordered preventive measures against other individuals, including prohibitions on contact between those involved, travel restrictions, and the use of electronic ankle monitors.
In total, authorities aimed to execute three preventive arrest warrants and seven search and seizure warrants across addresses linked to the suspects in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, and São Paulo.
Investigators have identified evidence of money laundering, noting that the suspects used bank transfers and other financial operations to obscure the movement of funds. The suspects may face charges including international drug trafficking, criminal organization, money laundering, and ideological falsehood.
This action follows closely on the heels of another major Federal Police operation targeting a bribery scheme at the Port of Rio, which allegedly caused an estimated R$ 500 million in losses to public coffers through the irregular release of containers.
Based on reporting from g1.