Brazilian Congress advances bills to criminalize animal drug‑trafficking use and increase cruelty penalties

The Brazilian Chamber of Deputies is reviewing two animal‑protection proposals. Deputy Capitão Alden (PL‑BA) introduced PL 1951/26, which would make it a crime to use animals to facilitate drug trafficking – forcing them to ingest narcotics or hide drugs in their bodies. Penalties range from five to fifteen years’ imprisonment and a fine, with possible increases of one‑third to one‑half if the act causes death or serious injury to the animal, involves organized crime, interstate or international drug transport, or is repeated.

A separate bill, PL 206/26, sponsored by Deputy Ely Santos (Republicanos‑SP), seeks to raise penalties for mistreatment of dogs and cats to four to eight years in prison and bans substituting imprisonment with monetary fines. Both proposals remain under committee review and must be approved by the full Chamber and the Senate before becoming law.