Brazilian police seize cash hidden in lawyer's home linked to Deputy Sóstenes Cavalcante

The Federal Police seized two bundles of cash, consisting of R$100 and R$50 notes, hidden inside a fake law textbook during the third phase of Operation Rent a Car on July 1. The money was found at the residence of a lawyer connected to Deputy Sóstenes Cavalcante, leader of the PL party in the Chamber of Deputies. The deputy was not subject to a search. The investigation targets an alleged scheme that diverted parliamentary quota funds through a suspect car‑rental company that issued fictitious invoices and reportedly received R$915,000. In December, police previously seized R$430,000 in cash linked to the deputy, claiming it came from a property sale; investigators now suspect the sale documents were forged to justify the cash. Judicial measures for the third phase were authorized by Supreme Court Minister Flávio Dino and were carried out in the Federal District, Goiás and Minas Gerais. All individuals targeted in the operation are lawyers.