Federal Police inspect farms owned by father of Santa Inês mayor

The Brazilian Federal Police conducted an operation at a farm owned by Antônio Barbosa de Carvalho, the father of Santa Inês Mayor Felipe dos Pneus, in the rural zone of Maranhão. The action included technical support from the Maranhão State Agricultural Defense Agency (Aged) to assist in livestock counting and the verification of registration records.

Mayor Felipe dos Pneus has alleged that the operation is a form of political persecution resulting from his family's political stance during the state elections, claiming the inspection has disrupted business and affected workers. Aged has denied these claims, stating the intervention was strictly technical, institutional, and requested by the Federal Police to fulfill sanitary inspection duties.

In a separate recent development in Santa Inês, authorities seized approximately R$ 500,000, which may be linked to the mayor. Investigations are looking into potential irregular campaign financing for the 2026 elections and the possible use of “gado de papel” (paper cattle)—a practice involving fictitious cattle transactions to disguise the movement of funds.