São Paulo court upholds arrest warrant for PCC leader Marcola over money laundering links

A São Paulo court has upheld arrest warrants for Marcos Camacho, known as Marcola, the top leader of the powerful Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) gang, and his brother, Alejandro Camacho. The decision by Judge Renata William Rached Catelli of the São Paulo Court of Justice denied a preliminary request to lift the warrants, which are part of "Operation Vérnix."

Operation Vérnix, conducted by the Civil Police and the Public Prosecutor's Office, targets an alleged extensive money laundering scheme operated by the PCC. The investigation implicates Marcola and Alejandro as key figures, alongside influencer Deolane Bezerra dos Santos, who is also in custody. Police claim the scheme used shell companies to launder money from drug trafficking and other illicit activities.

“

The decision is of a strictly preliminary and provisional nature, without any definitive analysis of the legality of the preventive arrests decreed.

Deolane Bezerra, an influencer and lawyer, was arrested shortly after returning from a trip to Rome. She denies the allegations, including claims that she established 35 front companies to launder funds for the PCC. Authorities suggest the illicit money flowed through a front transport company in President Venceslau, São Paulo state.

Marcola has been imprisoned for 27 years, serving continuously since July 1999. His defense lawyer, Bruno Ferullo Rita, stated that the current decision is preliminary and does not address the merits of the preventive arrests. He argued that the arrests lack individualized justification, relying primarily on Marcola's hierarchical position within the criminal organization rather than concrete actions. The defense also raised concerns about the delay in holding a custody hearing within the mandated 24-hour period.

“

I am not a criminal.