Large drug dealers who were arrested in Brazil's persistent fight against crimes

A woman was arrested on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 in Carmópolis, Brazil, because of drug trade and maintaining relationships with the capital Primeiro Comando Da Capital (PCC), a notorious criminal organization. The arrest came after the police carried out a search order in their apartment, in which they discovered about 1 kilogram of cocaine base and a considerable amount of crack cocaine.

According to the secretaria de Segurança Pública (SSP), the court ordinance was granted in her house after the seizure of drugs. In a desperate attempt to dispose of evidence, the suspect reported that cracks from crack and cocaine report out of their window. However, the law enforcement officers carried out thorough searches nearby and found the drugs that were still offered for sale.

In addition to the narcotics, the police confiscated ammunition for a revolver and a notebook with detailed records for the criminal organization. This notebook contained customer lists, financial transactions and debt management notes that paint an image of the sophisticated surgery of drug trafficking in the region.

The arrest was carried out by Offices of the Delegacia Regional de Carmópolis. After the woman was arrested on site, she was taken into custody and is now waiting for the procedure in the judicial system.

Just a day later, on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, the São Paulo civil police made another considerable arrest and arrested one of the most wanted drug dealers in northern Brazil. Paulo Roberto Estevam de Carvalho, also known as 'Paulo Baladeira', was taken into custody in the eastern zone of São Paulo, especially in a drinks distribution business that he had owned in Rua Flor de Invern.

Baladeira is considered the head of cocaine trade on the triple border of Brazil, Peru and Bolivia. He was sentenced to 21 years in prison in 2014 because he was involved in drug trafficking, murders and part of a criminal organization. Despite his detention, he allegedly continued to organize violent criminal activities from a distance, including the authorization of the execution of competing gang members.

The arrest was made possible after the Civil Police of ACRE made their colleagues in São Paulo aware of Baladeira's possible situation. Officers of the Department of Astaduelle de Investigações Contra O Crime Organizado (DIC) quickly acted on this intelligence, which led to the arrest of the refugee.

This was not Baladeira's first encounter with the law enforcement authorities. Previously, in 2023 he was captured in Brasiléia, a city on the border with Bolivia. During this arrest, he was saved by an armed group that stormed the police station and all weapons from the steel facility. After his existence, he also managed to escape the authorities during the monitoring of an electronic ankle bracelet and to flee to São Paulo.

Law enforcement officers have found that the influence of Baladeira went beyond the borders when he coordinated drug trafficking and criminal operations in Brazil and Bolivia. His organization was particularly active in the border regions, especially in the cities of Epitaciolândia and Brasiléia in Acre as well as in the Bolivian department of Pando.

Roberth Alencar, a delegate of the Acre civil police, emphasized the importance of Baladeira's capture and explained: “Baladeira was a primary goal for the police due to his extensive criminal record and the continuing influence, which he also had outside the state.” His arrest marks a crucial step in combating organized crime that has plagued this border regions.

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