Brazil's Federal Court sentenced Brazilian drug trafficker Lindomar Reges Furtado to 37 years in prison, after finding him guilty of leading a structure dedicated to international drug trafficking and money laundering. The organization allegedly exported more than six tons of cocaine from South America to Europe.
The Federal Court of Rio de Janeiro considered it proven that Reges Furtado coordinated negotiations with drug suppliers in South American countries and maintained commercial ties with buyers based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
According to the investigation, the criminal network operated through a transnational scheme that included the acquisition of cocaine in Bolivia and Colombia. The cargo was then transported to Paraguay and subsequently brought into Brazil bound for port cities, from where it was sent to Europe hidden in containers. Brazilian authorities state that the structure also resorted to bribing officials to facilitate the movement and export of the drug.
The name of Lindomar Reges Furtado gained notoriety in Paraguay in February 2022, when he managed to escape during the failed Operation Turf, led by agents of the National Anti-Drug Secretariat (Senad) and the Public Ministry in the department of Alto Paraná. On that occasion, the trafficker left the Paraná Country Club aboard a black Toyota Hilux pickup truck, belonging to an employee of Tabacalera del Este SA (Tabesa).
According to investigation background, the Brazilian lived in Paraguay with a high standard of living and had a habeas corpus that allowed him to move freely, preventing his detention despite suspicions against him.
After remaining a fugitive for nearly three years, Reges Furtado was finally captured in February 2025 by agents of the Federal Police of Brazil. The arrest took place in a luxury condominium in the Recreio dos Bandeirantes neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, where he was found while sleeping. Authorities also reported that the convict had undergone cosmetic changes to modify his appearance and hinder his identification.