Brazil Federal Police Launch 'Rota Ilegal' to Target Brasília Cell Moving South Asian Migrants to U.S.

Overview

• Officers carried out the operation in Brasília on November 19 and placed the principal suspect under temporary arrest.
• Court orders authorized searches, passport seizures, travel restrictions for other suspects, and asset blocks up to R$5.94 million including real estate, vehicles, vessels, aircraft, and cryptoassets.
• Investigators say the cell instructed migrants from South Asia to request refuge in Brazil before traveling by land and sea toward Mexico and entering the United States clandestinely.
• The organization charged between US$4,000 and US$11,000 per person, according to the Federal Police.
• Authorities report cross‑border links connecting Brazil with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Mexico, and the United States, and the identities of those under investigation have not been disclosed.