Brazil's Federal Police launched Operation Avalanche on Tuesday, June 23, against a suspected interstate drug-trafficking organization operating across five states. The operation targeted a network accused of handling the logistics, transport, storage and distribution of narcotics, mainly linked in the reports to cocaine.
According to Rondoniagora and Jornal Opção Tocantins, federal agents carried out 47 judicial warrants: 20 preventive arrest warrants and 27 search-and-seizure warrants. G1 also lists those same figures in its detailed breakdown, although one paragraph in its report says 94 warrants were carried out; the source does not explain the discrepancy.
Five-State Operation
The warrants were issued by the 1st Guarantees Court of Porto Velho, the capital of Rondônia in Brazil's western Amazon region. Police executed the measures in municipalities in Rondônia, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Minas Gerais and São Paulo.
The Federal Police, Brazil's national law-enforcement agency, said the suspects may face charges including drug trafficking, association for trafficking, participation in a criminal organization and money laundering. The suspects' names were not disclosed in the source reports.
Investigators also reported indications of an operational link with another criminal group. The sources say police are examining the possible involvement of a public servant, and Rondoniagora and Jornal Opção Tocantins also mention a woman under investigation.
How the Probe Began
The investigation started in January 2025 after the arrest in flagrante of a person transporting approximately 797 kilograms of cocaine in a refrigerated truck. Brazilian police use the term flagrante for an arrest made during or immediately after an alleged crime.
The analysis of cellphones seized in that case helped investigators expand the inquiry, according to the reports. Police say that work allowed them to identify additional suspected members and connect the group to other drug seizures in different states.
Over the course of the investigation, authorities linked the alleged network to seizures totaling nearly two tons of narcotics. The reports do not provide a full list of the locations or dates of those seizures.
Money-Laundering Claims
Beyond the alleged drug shipments, the Federal Police said investigators found signs of financial movement incompatible with some suspects' declared income. They are also examining the alleged use of third parties to move money and possible money-laundering practices to disguise proceeds from criminal activity.
During the June 23 operation, police seized vehicles, cash, electronic equipment, firearms and ammunition. The seized material will undergo forensic analysis and may help identify other people involved, according to the Federal Police information cited by the outlets.
The case remains under investigation. The current allegations are based on police findings reported by G1, Rondoniagora and Jornal Opção Tocantins, and no convictions were reported in the source material.