Brazil: Authorities Charge Suspected Leader Behind Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira Murders

Brazil authorities have officially charged the alleged leader of a "transnational criminal organization" with orchestrating the murders of Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira. This tragic incident occurred in the Amazon last year.

The victims, Phillips and Pereira, had supported Indigenous activists in their efforts to protect their lands from illegal fishing and mining operations. Three local fishermen have been in custody awaiting trial on suspicion of committing the murders.

TV Globo in Brazil reported that federal police had brought legal charges against two additional individuals connected to the deaths Sunday night.

The suspects are identified as Ruben Dario da Silva Villar, believed to be the leader of a global illegal fishing network operating in the tri-border region of Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, and Jânio Freitas de Souza, a fisherman accused of being one of Silva Villar's associates at the Itaqua river, where the killings took place.

Silva Villar, also known by the alias "Colombia," has been charged by federal police with masterminding the murders and concealing the victims' bodies. Souza, on the other hand, faces charges related to his alleged involvement in both crimes.

Details outlined in the six-page federal police indictment, obtained by The Guardian, reveal that investigative efforts have uncovered extensive communication between Silva Villar and Souza in the days leading up to and following the crime last year.

During police interviews in 2022, Souza claimed to have recognized Silva Villar "by sight." Moreover, the federal police indictment indicates that the two individuals exchanged 419 phone calls between June 1, 2022, when Phillips and Pereira arrived in the Javari region for their reporting assignment, and June 6, the day after their tragic deaths.

Throughout the year-long investigation, evidence has emerged suggesting that the criminal organization closely monitored the activities of Bruno and Dom in the days leading up to the crime.

Death of Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips

Bruno Pereira, 41, a journalist, and Dom Phillips, 57, an Indigenous expert, went missing on June 5, 2022, while on a boat trip in the Javari Valley Indigenous area in Brazil.

The region is known for its conflicts involving illegal miners, loggers, poachers, and drug traffickers. The disappearance of Pereira and Phillips highlighted the risks faced by journalists, environmentalists, and Indigenous leaders working in the area.

After ten days of searching, a fisherman named Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira confessed to murdering the two men. He led authorities to a hidden burial site in the Brazilian jungle.

Pereira had a history of conflicts with local fishermen while working for Brazil's federal agency for Indigenous issues. Threats to his safety had led him to carry a gun. Although he had left the agency, he continued his work with Indigenous communities, documenting criminal activities with photographs.

On the day of their disappearance, Pereira was allegedly delivering evidence of illegal fishing to the police in Atalaia do Norte.

They were both fatally shot.

Tragic Deaths of Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips Illuminate Environmental Crisis in Brazil

Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips's deaths have brought attention to Brazil's environmental and Indigenous rights issues under the previous government led by Jair Bolsonaro.

Following their deaths, there has been an international outcry, with criticism directed toward Bolsonaro's policies and actions.

Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Bolsonaro's successor, accused him of genocide against the Yanomami people of the Amazon.

Lula claimed Bolsonaro had dismantled Indigenous protections and supported illegal gold miners encroaching on Indigenous territories.

Beto Marubo, a Javari leader and ally of Pereira, expressed concerns about the security situation in the region and called for justice for the murders. He hoped the new Brazilian government would address these issues and ensure justice for Pereira and Phillips.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Killed on the frontline of the battle to save the Amazon: remembering Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips - From Guardian News