On July 7, 2026, Brazil's Federal Police executed 19 search and seizure warrants in the sixth phase of Operação Unha e Carne (literally "nail and flesh"). Police believe that at least R$7.6 billion (about US$1.5 billion) was laundered over six years through a network of gas stations spread across greater Rio de Janeiro. The search targets this time included Márcio Canella, former mayor of Belford Roxo (who resigned in April 2026 to run for the Senate), and Marcus Vinícius Amim, former chief of Rio state's Civil Police. Canella was arrested in flagrante for illegal firearm possession after a military-style rifle was found in a car at his home during the search, and was released on July 11. To date, no one has been convicted in this case.
How a Gas Station Becomes a Laundering Machine
Cash-heavy retail businesses have long been used for money laundering, and fuel retail is a textbook example. Huge numbers of vehicles fill up every day, with cash and card payments mixed together. By booking fictitious sales, illicit funds can be turned into "legitimate revenue." The larger the chain network, the greater the volume that can be laundered.
In Brazil, observers have long pointed to a structure known as the "fuel mafia." An analysis published in The Conversation in 2025 described fuel adulteration, such as methanol blending, and the takeover of station networks by the criminal organization PCC (Primeiro Comando da Capital). A Reuters exclusive further reported allegations that legitimate refiners had supplied large volumes of naphtha to companies linked to the scheme. In June 2026, the U.S. State Department designated both the PCC and the Rio-based Comando Vermelho (CV) as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), and frameworks for international investigative cooperation are beginning to move.
An Investigation Reaching the Legislature, Judiciary, and Police
What makes this investigation unusual is that its targets span multiple branches of power. The operation began in December 2025 with alleged leaks of classified information about police operations against Comando Vermelho. The first phase placed a former president of Rio's state legislature in preventive detention; the second reached a judge of the Federal Regional Court of the 2nd Region (TRF-2). Over six phases in seven months, the investigation has expanded into money laundering, irregular no-bid contracts, and involvement of criminal organizations. It reflects a framework in which the Federal Police investigate while the Prosecutor-General of the Republic (PGR) handles prosecutions of politicians and judges with privileged jurisdiction — but it also leaves the question of why all this went unnoticed for so long.
Questions Ahead of the October Elections
Brazil holds presidential and congressional elections in October 2026. Canella, one of the search targets, was himself preparing a Senate run, and the investigation is drawing attention from the standpoint of campaign finance transparency as well.
The Author's Take
What stands out in this case is that the laundering stage was not drugs or weapons themselves, but the gas stations everyone uses in daily life. Criminal proceeds ultimately have to be turned into "clean money" somewhere in the everyday economy. That point of contact lies not at the scene of spectacular crimes, but in receipts and ledgers. The fact that a financial intelligence unit report triggered the investigation shows that the counterweapon against this kind of crime is not a gun but accounting data.
Two indicators are worth watching. First, whether those searched are actually indicted — being a search target and being guilty are not the same thing. Second, how far the international investigation tracing the ties to refiners bears fruit. The FTO designation has widened the scope in which U.S. law enforcement can act, and the next development may come from beyond Brazil's borders.
Glossary
unha e carne = literally "nail and flesh"; a Portuguese idiom for an inseparably close relationship. lavagem de dinheiro = money laundering. Comando Vermelho = a criminal organization based in Rio. PCC = Brazil's largest criminal organization, originating in São Paulo. PGR = Prosecutor-General of the Republic (Procurador-Geral da República).
Behind the receipts of Rio's gas stations lay a flow of money connecting the city's politicians, police, and judiciary.
References
- PF deflagra 6ª fase da Operação Unha e Carne no Rio de Janeiro | Polícia Federal — gov.br/pf
- Brazil Says $1.5bn Was Laundered Through Rio Petrol Stations | The Rio Times — riotimesonline.com
- The rise of Brazil's fuel mafias and their gas station money laundering machines | The Conversation — theconversation.com
- Terrorist Designation of Comando Vermelho and Primeiro Comando da Capital | U.S. Department of State — state.gov
- Exclusive: Brazil refiners fueled scheme linked to U.S.-designated terrorist group | Reuters (AOL) — aol.com
※ This article is the author’s commentary based on public information. Please confirm the latest figures, dates and procedures with governments and primary sources. Quotations are kept minimal and sources are cited.