The Federal Police received on the night of Wednesday, May 27, in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, the trafficker Gerson Palermo, pointed out as one of the leaders of the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) in Brazil. He was arrested in Bolivia the day before and had been fugitive since 2020, after receiving the benefit of house arrest and fleeing the country. The arrest occurred after an exchange of information between the police forces of the two countries and resulted in the capture of the fugitive, convicted of crimes related to international drug trafficking and other serious offenses. Gerson Palermo was on the list of most wanted in Brazil and was sentenced to almost 126 years in prison.
The capture of Gerson Palermo is an important result of the cooperation between the police forces of Brazil and Bolivia.
He fled in April 2020, five hours after having a habeas corpus granted in Mato Grosso do Sul, during the Covid-19 pandemic, alleging a weakened health condition. However, the judge who granted the benefit, Divoncir Maran, was later punished by the National Council of Justice (CNJ) with compulsory retirement, the most serious administrative penalty provided for magistrates, in February this year.
After arriving on Brazilian territory, Palermo was led by federal police to the Regional Superintendence of the Federal Police in Mato Grosso do Sul for the usual procedures.
Once the legal formalities are completed, Gerson Palermo will be forwarded to the federal penitentiary system, where he will remain at the disposal of Justice. The Federal Police highlighted that Gerson Palermo’s arrest was possible thanks to the exchange of information between the police forces of the two countries.
International cooperation is essential to combat organized crime, which often has a transnational reach. The arrest of Gerson Palermo is an example of this and demonstrates the importance of collaboration between authorities to ensure public safety.
The arrival of Gerson Palermo in Brazil and his arrest are important results of the joint action between the police forces of the two countries. He will be kept in the federal prison system, at the disposal of Justice, after completing the legal procedures.
