At 50 years old and a fugitive from justice, Luciano Castro de Oliveiraknown as “Zequinha,” is noted as one of the main leaders of the First Capital Command (PCC), one of the most feared criminal organizations in Brazil. In addition to his participation in several crimes, “Zequinha” was sentenced to 30 years in prison for homicides and robberies.
The spectacular robbery of Prosegur in Ciudad del Este, Paraguaywhich has been described as the “coup of the century”has once again put “Zequinha” in the spotlight. The assault, which involved about 50 criminals, resulted in a multi-million dollar loot and in a series of confrontations that left at least one guard and three thieves dead.
How was the robbery of Prosegur in Ciudad del Este?
In the early hours of Monday, April 24, 2017 in Ciudad del Este, the headquarters of the Prosegur company was attacked by a super gang of approximately 50 heavily armed men. The criminals used C-4 explosives to destroy the entrance gate and access the facilities, where they neutralized the security employees present and murdered one of the police officers guarding the place. This violent raid marked the beginning of a carefully planned assault.
Once inside, the assailants up to seven explosions with C-4 were detonated to open the vault and withdraw the money. The thieves managed to escape in three different directions and, to obstruct the arrival of police reinforcements, Vehicles were set on fire in at least ten places in the city. This strategic and meticulous action left the Triple Border area paralyzed, causing commotion among its inhabitants and increasing pressure on the authorities to capture those responsible.
In addition, the criminals had rented a mansion in Ciudad del Este, where they planned every detail of the coup. The Brazilian Federal Police pointed out that this assault was not an isolated actbut part of a series of criminal operations organized by the PCC in the region.
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Who is Zequinha?
Luciano Castro de Oliveiraalias “Zequinha,” is a Brazilian criminal known for his role in the PCC, an organization that extended its networks of influence from the prisons of São Paulo to other Latin American countries. This group controls a large part of drug and weapons trafficking in Brazil and uses tactics of extreme violence to intimidate its adversaries and consolidate its power.
“Zequinha” is no common criminal. He has already been sentenced to 50 years in prison for various crimes, but his fugitive status allows him to continue operating from the shadows. He is the alleged intellectual author of several assaults on securities transportation companies, and His name is involved in robbery investigations in Brazil and neighboring countries. For the Brazilian Police, the assault on Prosegur was a highly complex operation, with details that only someone with the experience and resources of “Zequinha” could have carried out.
This criminal also has the ability to recruit and coordinate dozens of individuals willing to participate in his elaborate plans, many of them veterans in the world of organized crime and with connections abroad.
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What happened to Zequinha and the stolen money
Zequinha was arrested in 2020 after being on the run for almost 20 years. He is known for being one of the biggest bank robbers in Brazil and for being a prominent member of the PCC criminal organization. After his arrest in a place in the interior of São Paulo, Zequinha was convicted of various crimes, including robberies of banks and securities transporters.
Recently, in October 2024, he was transferred to the semi-open regime after a court decision, although he still has a pending sentence until 2039.
Source: Ambito
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