Bruno and Dom: PF concludes that ‘Colombia’ ordered deaths – 01/23/2023 – Daily life

The Federal Police in Amazonas said this Monday afternoon (23) that the murders of indigenist Bruno Pereira and journalist Dom Phillips, on June 5, 2022, had a mastermind.

According to former PF superintendent Eduardo Fontes, who was in charge during most of the investigations, the case is 90% complete and there are “vehement indications” that Ruben Dario da Silva Villar, known as Colombia, ordered the crimes.

Villar is suspected of leading a criminal organization of illegal fishing in the region of the Vale do Javari Indigenous Land, on the border of Brazil with Peru and Colombia.

The PF organized a press conference, at the headquarters of the superintendence in Manaus, to give details of the unfolding of the investigations.

The executors were Amarildo Oliveira, Pelado; his brother Oseney de Oliveira, Dos Santos; and Jefferson da Silva Lima, known as Pelado da Dinha, as reported by the MPF (Federal Public Ministry).

A fourth person participated more directly in the crime, according to the PF.

“We never ruled out any investigative line, and every strategy proved to be successful. I have no doubts, we have a mastermind. Strong evidence points to Colombia as the mastermind,” said the delegate.

Among the clues cited by Fontes are the supply of ammunition to Amarildo and Jefferson, the same used in the murders, according to the delegate.

Other evidence cited is the provision of a vessel for illegal fishing, initial payment to a lawyer for Amarildo’s defense and a connection on the eve of the crime to one of the suspects, in addition to attempts at connections in the following days.

The police do not have the content of those calls, but the details of the circumstances in which they were made by Villar, according to the delegate who headed the PF in Amazonas.

There has yet to be a final report or Villar indictment. “As we prioritize the quality of the evidence, telematic analyzes will still be carried out, based on breaches of secrecy. This will only reinforce the evidence of this intellectual authorship”, said Fontes.

The alleged mastermind of the crimes was arrested for using a false document, but he paid bail and was released. He was arrested again in December.

The PF asked that he be transferred to a maximum security penitentiary, like what happened to Amarildo, Oseney and Jefferson – the first is in the prison of Catanduvas (PR), and the others, in Campo Grande (MS).

Also according to the PF, a fourth person was indicted for participating in the double homicide: Edvaldo da Costa Oliveira. He was not on the boat nor did he shoot at the victims, but he was responsible for delivering the 16-gauge shotgun to Jefferson, according to the PF. The gun was used in the murders, and Edvaldo was aware of what would happen, according to the police.

The investigators also added a crime under investigation, of corruption of minors, due to the participation of a nephew of Amarildo in the concealment of the corpses, the PF said.

The inquiry opened to investigate the armed criminal organization of illegal fishing in the Javari Valley also had conclusive reports, with blame being placed on ten people, according to the PF. Among those investigated are Amarildo and his family and Villar, appointed as the alleged leader of the organization.

Bruno and Dom were killed while navigating the Itaquaí River, outside the indigenous land.

The process is being processed in the Federal Court of Tabatinga (AM), which is located in the triple border region of Brazil with Colombia and Peru. The city is the second closest to Atalaia do Norte (AM), a neighboring municipality of the Vale do Javari indigenous land and the destination of Bruno and Dom when they returned along the Itaquaí river.

The Federal Court in Amazonas postponed by almost two months the holding of hearings in which the prosecution and defense witnesses in the case will be heard.

The instruction hearings would take place this week and will now be held in March. The change delays the outcome of the process in the first instance of Justice. After the testimonies of the witnesses and the defendants themselves, the judge can already forward a sentence for the case.

As the Federal Court pointed out, the reasons for the postponement were a lack of communication by the Court itself and the unavailability of rooms for the defendants to follow the hearings, which will be held by videoconference. The suspects are in maximum security federal penitentiaries, by decision of the Justice.