Dismantling the international arms movement from the United States to Brazil

BRASILIA, March 15 – The Federal Police today launched an operation to dismantle an international trafficking criminal organization that has brought weapons from the United States to Brazil.

Called Florida Heat, the procedure is jointly carried out by Federal Prosecutors (MPF) and has the support of the US Embassy’s Homeland Security Investigations Agency.

In the actions of this Tuesday, about 50 federal police officers, members of the MPF’s Special Organized Crime Task Force and US agents are executing seven preventive arrest warrants and five search and forfeiture warrants.

Such orders were issued by the First Federal Criminal Court in Rio de Janeiro, in Campo Grande (the capital of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul (Midwest) and in Miami, USA.

Investigations, which began about two years ago, discovered the existence of a gang responsible for the possession of firearms, parts, accessories and ammunition in the United States for later shipment to Brazil.

These goods reached the South American giant by sea (containers) and air (parcels) through the states of Amazonas, São Paulo and Santa Catarina, and their final destination was to stay at Villa Isabel in Rio.

Most of the time, according to the investigation, the items were packed into equipment such as welding machines and printers, which were shipped along with other items such as phones, electronic equipment, nutritional supplements, clothing, and shoes.

Gate R7 confirms that after passing through Vila Isabel’s house, war tools were distributed to drug dealers, militiamen and murderers.

It states that money for the arms purchase was sent from Brazil to the United States through money launderers.

A Brazilian is recognized as the owner of a Boston barbecue, who took a piece of this capital and made it to his goals in the Northern Nation.

The criminal group invested money from arms smuggling in residential real estate, cryptocurrency, stocks, vehicles and luxury boats.

A decision was also issued to confiscate assets valued at about 10 million riyals (about two million dollars).

According to the G1 news portal, former military policeman Ronnie Lisa, accused of being the enforcer for Councilman Mariel Franco and driver Anderson Gomez, in 2018, is one of the targets of the Florida Heat.

Lesse was arrested in March 2019 in Rio and in December 2020 he was transferred to the Campo Grande Federal Prison.

The former agent received a deposit of 100,000 reais (about $20,000) in cash seven months after Franco and Gomez were murdered. (PL) (Photo: France Press agency)