Brazilian authorities arrest influencer and lawyer in ‘Ndrangheta mafia probe

A joint investigation by Brazilian and Italian police has uncovered an international cocaine trafficking scheme linked to the ‘Ndrangheta, a mafia organization based in Calabria, Italy.

Digital influencer Paula Simões and lawyer Patrick Cardoso were arrested for allegedly coordinating the shipment of narcotics to Europe via the Port of Paranaguá in Paraná. Simões, who is married to Nicola Assisi—a member of the mafia organization previously detained in São Paulo—is accused of managing the group’s illicit business following her husband’s arrest.

Cardoso, who provided legal defense for the Italian nationals, is identified as an intermediary. Investigators claim he used his professional status to facilitate communication, passing written instructions from detainees to the group’s leadership through the Superintendency of the Federal Police in São Paulo. The criminal structure reportedly utilized logistics services at the port to hide cocaine within containers and employed money changers to move transaction funds.