Flávio Bolsonaro denies knowing Vorcaro-linked ‘Sicário’ in disputed photo

A photograph taken in 2022 at a hotel in Rio de Janeiro shows Senator Flávio Bolsonaro standing beside Luiz Phillipi Machado de Moraes Mourão, identified by the Federal Police as the “Sicário” of businessman Daniel Vorcaro, owner of Banco Master. Bolsonaro said he does not know Mourão and that, as a public figure, he cannot recognise everyone who asks for a picture. He also questioned the photo’s provenance and whether it might be AI‑generated; technical checks by five AI‑detection tools and InVID found no evidence of manipulation.

Mourão was arrested preventively on 4 March during the third phase of Operation Compliance Zero, which investigates a fraud scheme at Banco Master. He was a key operative of the criminal group dubbed “A Turma” that allegedly accessed secret police, prosecutor and Interpol systems and threatened adversaries. While in custody at a Federal Police super‑intendency in Minas Gerais, Mourão died by suicide. The operation also led to the arrests of Vorcaro, his cousin Fabiano Zettel and a retired federal police officer, with assets frozen at about R$ 22 billion. The photo’s release has revived scrutiny of Bolsonaro’s links to Vorcaro, including prior revelations that the senator sought millions from Vorcaro to fund the “Dark Horse” film about former President Jair Bolsonaro.