By Brazil Stock Guide – Brazil’s federal police launched Operação Rejeito on Wednesday (Sept. 17), arresting a senior mining regulator and exposing a corruption and money-laundering scheme that generated at least R$1.5 billion ($300 million). Authorities said the network also had projects underway with potential value exceeding R$18 billion.
The crackdown, carried out with the federal comptroller’s office, public prosecutors and the tax authority, targeted a group accused of bribing officials to secure fraudulent mining and environmental permits. Police said 22 preventive arrest warrants and 79 search orders were executed, while R$1.5 billion in assets were frozen and companies suspended.
Among those detained was Caio Mário Trivelatto Seabra Filho, a director at the National Mining Agency (ANM) in Brasília, accused of favoring Aiga Mineração in exchange for bribes. Former ANM director Guilherme Santana Lopes was also targeted.
Businessmen Alan Cavalcante do Nascimento, Hélder Adriano de Freitas, and João Alberto Paixão Lages allegedly led the scheme through companies including Fleurs Global Mineração, Mineração Gute Sight and Grupo Minerar. According to investigators, they obtained permits to illegally exploit iron ore even in heritage sites and protected areas, with “severe environmental consequences and a high risk of social and human disasters.”
The investigation also cited Débora França, former superintendent of Iphan in Minas Gerais, who allegedly profited via her private firm.
Authorities said the group worked to neutralize oversight, obstruct investigations and monitor officials, while laundering illicit gains through complex financial structures.
“The conduct shows active participation in manipulating administrative and legal decisions for private interests, undermining legality and impartiality,” federal police said in a statement.
Charges may include environmental crimes, corruption, money laundering, conspiracy and obstruction of justice.
Additional Court Actions
On Jan. 24, the federal court in Belo Horizonte ordered the immediate suspension of activities at Gute Sicht and Fleurs Global Mineração after new evidence presented by police. Investigators found that Gute Sicht was operating inside the Serra do Curral, a legally protected area where mining is banned by municipal law.
The court set a daily fine of R$300,000 ($60,000) for noncompliance. According to police, the company repeatedly ignored municipal embargoes dating back to 2022, when it was first fined R$25,000, and continued illegal operations. Investigators also documented land clearing and excavation disguised as “leveling work,” allegedly to conceal the extraction of iron ore later sold to steelmakers and processing plants.
Federal police further discovered a mining pit active for more than three years, despite company claims the work was for a garage project — with no construction evidence found on site.
Fleurs Global Mineração, part of the same group, was also accused of systematically breaching environmental compliance agreements (TACs) signed with state regulators. Despite over R$2 million ($400,000) in fines, authorities repeatedly renewed the temporary agreements, which investigators said were improperly used as substitutes for full environmental licenses.