Rodrigues stated that the premature disclosure of sanctions imposed by Washington affected the progress of “Operation Exchange,” launched against a network suspected of laundering money from international drug trafficking through cryptocurrencies, cash transport, and complex financial transactions.
According to the PF chief, the publication of the sanctioned individuals’ names hindered the capture of one of the main suspects: “Had that designation not occurred, the outcome might have been different,” Rodrigues asserted.
Although he refrained from identifying the suspect, the news portal *Valor Económico* indicated that the PF head was referring to businessman Victor Shimada, who was subject to a temporary arrest warrant and sanctioned this week by the US government for alleged ties to the *Primeiro Comando da Capital*.
That Brazilian criminal organization was designated as a terrorist group by the United States—along with the *Comando Vermelho* —a decision rejected by the government of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and various sectors within the South American nation, who viewed it as interference in the country’s internal affairs.
Shimada’s secretary, Stella Oliveira—who was also sanctioned by Washington—was arrested during the PF operation.
The institution’s Director of Investigation and Combating Organized Crime and Corruption, Dennis Cali, explained that the Brazilian investigation was already underway and had judicial authorization before the United States announced the designations regarding the *Primeiro Comando da Capital* and Comando Vermelho.
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