Criminal leader Angeliquinha returned to prison in Mato Grosso

Angélica Saraiva de Sá, known as ‘Angeliquinha’, has been transferred from Mato Grosso do Sul to the Ana Maria do Couto May Female Penitentiary in Cuiabá. A prominent leader of a criminal faction operating in northern Mato Grosso, she was recaptured in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, on September 22 following a joint operation between Brazilian and Bolivian police.

Angeliquinha had been a fugitive since August 2025, when she escaped from the same Cuiabá facility. She faces convictions exceeding 260 years for crimes including homicide, drug trafficking, and criminal organization. Investigations, such as Operation Showdown, have linked her network to money laundering involving over R$ 20 million.

Following her return, the 5th Criminal Court of Sinop ordered her placement in a Special Disciplinary Regime (RDD) for an initial period of 180 days.