Former Brazilian military officer and convicted murderer on the run arrested in Rye
A former Brazilian military police officer, convicted of 11 murders in 2015, was arrested Monday in Rye, N.H., according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
BOSTON, MASS. — A former Brazilian military police officer, convicted of 11 murders in 2015, was arrested Monday in Rye, N.H., according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Antonio Jose De Abreu Vidal Filho was convicted, along with three other officers, of 11 murders in June 2023 by a criminal court in the state of Ceara, Brazil. He was sentenced to 275 years and 11 months in prison for his part in a 2015 Brazilian massacre known as the “Curio Massacre,” named for the neighborhood in Fortalzeza, Brazil, where the killings took place in November 2015.
Filho, 29, was the subject of an active Interpol Red Notice issued by the international criminal police organization after his conviction. Interpol is the international criminal police organization that supports law enforcement authorities worldwide to share and access data on crimes and criminals.
An Interpol Red Notice is an international wanted notice providing information on fugitives charged with or convicted of serious crimes who have fled prosecution or the serving of their sentence.
“The apprehension of this very dangerous foreign fugitive is an outstanding example of the professionalism and expertise of the officers of ERO Boston,” said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd Lyons in a prepared statement. “We are proud to have taken this notorious criminal, convicted of participating in multiple heinous murders in Brazil, off our streets. The dedication of ERO Boston officers has once again made our communities safer and more secure with this arrest.
Officers with Enforcement and Removal Operations, Boston Field Office, apprehended Vidal in Rye, taking him into custody without incident. He will remain in ICE custody pending a hearing before a federal immigration judge.
In fiscal year 2022, ERO arrested 46,396 noncitizens with criminal histories. This group had 198,498 associated charges and convictions, including 21,531 assault offenses; 8,164 sex and sexual assault offenses; 5,554 weapons offenses; 1,501 homicide-related offenses; and 1,114 kidnapping offenses.
