Brazil's 'Pablo Escobar' Sergio Roberto De Carvalho Arrested in Europe; Fights Extradition to His Home Country

Sergio Roberto de Carvalho, dubbed the "Pablo Escobar of Brazil," appeared in a court in Europe to fight attempts to extradite him to his home country.

Infobae reported that the "Pablo Escobar of Brazil" was arrested in Hungary's capital Budapest on Tuesday. The Brazilian police described him as one of the "biggest international traffickers today."

In a hearing in a Budapest court on Thursday, the judge said the Brazilian drug kingpin was arrested following an Interpol red notice signed by a court in Brazil in November 2020.

According to the notice, Carvalho was allegedly involved in distributing 45 tons of cocaine from Brazil to Europe between 2017 and 2019. He was also accused of laundering millions of dollars through several front companies.

The "Pablo Escobar of Brazil," who was allegedly in charge of a cocaine-trafficking organization in Europe, claimed in court that the case against him was politically motivated. His lawyer added that his client would not receive a fair trial in Brazil.

The judge then left the final decision on whether or not to extradite Carvalho to Justice Minister Judit Varga and ordered him to remain in custody until August 2.

Sergio Roberto de Carvalho: 'Pablo Escobar of Brazil' Used Fake ID Documents to Evade Arrest

The Hungarian police said Wednesday that it was their international partners who told them that Sergio Roberto de Carvalho was in the country. However, the investigation was stalled as the Brazilian drug kingpin has 10 different ID documents.

According to Insight Crime, Sergio Roberto de Carvalho was reported to have been living in Hungary using a fake Mexican passport.

He was arrested in Spain under the fake identity of a Surinamese national named Paul Wouter in 2020. According to reports, Spanish authorities did not know they were dealing with Carvalho.

After paying his bail, Carvalho, a former Brazilian military police officer, disappeared without a trace. The "Pablo Escobar of Brazil" has allegedly faked his own death.

He sent a certificate to Spanish authorities that stated that Wouter died from COVID-19. According to Vice, the death certificate was dated August 29, 2020, and signed by a doctor.

The certificate noted that he had apparently been cremated. Since fleeing from Spain, the drug kingpin was rumored to have spent time in Portugal, Ukraine, and Dubai.

Sergio Roberto de Carvalho eventually switched to different identities. His fake Mexican passport was under the name of Guillermo Flores Díaz, and he had been living in Hungary for the past two years using the name.

The Arrest of the 'Pablo Escobar of Brazil'

Brazilian authorities have notified Spain that Wouter was really Sergio Roberto de Carvalho, and they found numerous assets in his name in Portugal.

After months of investigations, police confiscated a van containing 12 million euros in cash parked in a Lisbon garage. Authorities believed this money was Carvalho's drug trafficking earnings from having lived up to two years in Portugal before Marbella in Spain.

He also allegedly bought a private charter flight company, Airjetsul, while in Portugal. He then tried to buy another to move cocaine and cash.

Much of Carvalho's finances were reportedly run from Dubai, where his alleged right-hand man, Marcelo Maghenzani, maintained an office. Maghenzani, who was believed to have booked flights and kept credit cards for the drug kingpin, was arrested in May 2021.

The Brazilian Pablo Escobar was a Major in the Brazilian military until 1997 when he was arrested and sentenced to 15 years for trafficking cocaine. He was freed in 2010.

Over the years, Insight Crime reported that 163 properties connected to Carvalho had been seized in Brazil and others in Portugal, Spain, and Dubai. A total of 70 cars, 37 planes, and millions of euros in cash had also been seized on both sides of the Atlantic.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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