Brazil fugitive captured in Bolivia

Bolivian authorities arrested a Brazilian fugitive on Monday after he was shot in the head during a clash with a rival gang in eastern Bolivia. The suspect, identified as Engri Júnior de Almeida Maia, is linked to the Primer Comando da Capital cartel and suspected of numerous killings in both Brazil and Bolivia.

Government Minister Marco Antonio Oviedo announced the capture during a press conference in La Paz. He stated that Maia, 38, had been living in Bolivia under a false identity since 2021. Brazilian and Bolivian records list him as a suspect in 40 homicides in Brazil and 12 in Bolivia. Locals also know him by the aliases Junior Trindale and Pablo Escobar de Goiás.

The arrest took place in the rural community of Concepción, located in the Santa Cruz region near the border with Brazil. Police Commander General Adrián Álvarez described the operation as a high-level effort involving the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Brazilian Federal Police. Maia was injured in a confrontation with a competing criminal group before officers secured him.

The suspect is currently recovering in a clinic in Santa Cruz under heavy security. During the raid, police also detained his girlfriend and four other Brazilian men connected to his organization. Authorities have not released the names of the five additional detainees.

Álvarez noted that Maia was well-known in criminal circles for organizing a network called Amigos del Estado. This group provided protection for large cocaine shipments moving to Brazil. The operation was tied to the trafficking routes controlled by Uruguayan suspect Sebastián Marset, who was captured in Santa Cruz and handed to the DEA in March.

The conflict between rival cartels has increased the rate of homicides in Santa Cruz. National and international reports indicate that Bolivia has become a hub for international cartels, including Brazil's Comando Vermelho. These groups are competing for control of drug routes to Brazil and Europe.

Oviedo added that officials have expelled 40 foreigners in recent months. Most of these individuals were senior members of the two criminal organizations that Washington designated as foreign terrorist entities earlier this year.