Jânio Freitas de Souza is accused of acting as the right-hand man of the person who ordered the crime, Rubens Villar Coelho, known as “Colombia”
The PF (Federal Police) arrested on Thursday (18 January 2024) the “main companion” by the person who ordered the murder of indigenous man Bruno Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips. Jânio Freitas de Souza was arrested in Tabatinga (AM), after an arrest warrant issued by the city's 1st Criminal Court.
In June 2022, Bruno and Dom were killed in Atalaia do Norte (AM), close to the Vale do Javari Indigenous Land. They were investigating an illegal fishing scheme in the region.
Appointed as the mastermind of the crime, Rubens Villar Coelho, known as “Colombia”, has been imprisoned in Manaus since December 2022. He was out of jail for 2 months, but returned to prison for failing to comply with the terms of his provisional release.
“Colombia” faces accusations of forging identity documents and leading an armed transnational criminal organization, investigated by another investigation investigating an illegal fishing and smuggling scheme in western Amazonas.
About 1 month ago, the PF arrested a security guard from “Colombia”. The man was arrested for illegal possession of a firearm, when agents were carrying out a search and seizure warrant at his home.
Remember the case
Victims of an ambush, Bruno and Dom were killed on June 5, 2022, while traveling by boat through the Vale do Javari region. The duo was last seen while traveling from the São Rafael community to Atalaia do Norte, where they would meet with indigenous leaders and riverside communities. The bodies were recovered 10 days later. They were buried in a dense forest area, about 3 kilometers from the Itacoaí River channel.
In October last year, the Federal Court in Amazonas ordered that the 3 executioners be brought to a popular jury: fishermen Amarildo da Costa Oliveira, known as “Pelado”; his brother Oseney da Costa de Oliveira, called “Dos Santos”; and Jefferson da Silva Lima, known as “Pelado da Dinha”. They are preventively detained in federal penitentiaries in Campo Grande (MS) and Catanduvas (PR).
Rubem Dario da Silva Villar, “Colombia”, was indicted as the mastermind behind the murders, as well as others involved in the criminal scheme. “Colombia” is arrested in Manaus for forging identity documents and heading an armed transnational criminal organization, in another investigation that investigated illegal fishing and smuggling.
As investigations continued, it was found in several documents that “Colombia” had an armed security guard and was running his criminal organization through information received by this security guard.
With information from Brazil Agency.
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