Brazil Supreme Court indicts officials in Comando Vermelho leak case

The Supreme Federal Court (STF) has unanimously decided to indict former Rio de Janeiro state deputy TH Joias, former Legislative Assembly president Rodrigo Bacellar, and federal judge Macário Ramos Júdice Neto. The three individuals, who are currently detained, are accused of obstructing justice by leaking confidential information regarding Operation Zargun, an investigation targeting the Comando Vermelho criminal faction.

According to the Prosecutor General's Office, Judge Júdice Neto allegedly leaked details of precautionary measures to Bacellar, who then passed the information to TH Joias. This leak allowed the suspect to remove evidence from his residence prior to police action. The ruling also extends to Jéssica de Oliveira Santos and Thárcio Nascimento Salgado.

In a separate development, the Court of Justice of Acre denied an appeal by Antônio Menezes de Castro, a suspected Comando Vermelho leader. Known as “Classe A,” Menezes de Castro was sentenced to over 52 years in prison. His defense argued that his previous escape from a semi-open regime was a security measure due to threats, but the court ruled that breaking his electronic monitoring device and remaining a fugitive for four years justified his return to a closed prison regime.