The Federal Police carried out 5 arrest warrants this Friday (27), within the scope of Operation Lesa Pátria, which investigates the coup acts of January 8, in Brasília. Among those arrested is Maria de Fátima Mendonça Jacinto Souza, 67, who became known as “Fátima de Tubarão.”
During the invasion and depredation of the Superior Federal Court (STF), the images of Maria de Fátima went viral. On the record, she states: “Let’s go to war, it’s war now. Let’s get Xandão now”, said the elderly woman, referring to Minister Alexandre de Moraes.
Maria de Fátima, born in Tubarão, Santa Catarina, was convicted of drug trafficking in 2014, and had the sentence set at 3 years, 10 months and 20 days, but did not comply, as the sentence was reversed in restrictive measures of rights.
Read More: “Third Act”: from possession to coup d’état, BdF film shows backstage of a disputed Brazil
In addition, the elderly woman also responds to processes for falsifying documents and embezzlement. Maria de Fátima would have used the identity of another woman to acquire telephone lines.
In Minas Gerais, lawyer Eduardo Antunes Barcelos, legal advisor at Santa Casa de Cataguases, in Zona da Mata Mineira, was arrested at his home. When the Planalto Palace was invaded by the coup leaders, he recorded a video celebrating and showing his own face.
Barcelos: “Madness, madness, madness” / Playback
“We invaded. Look at the people going up the ramp, tear gas, bomb, and the people repossessing. Communism down. That’s it folks, invasion. We invaded. Madness, madness, madness, look there. Warrior people”, said Barbosa in the recording.
Marcelo Eberle Motta, known as Marcelo Mito, was arrested in Juiz de Fora (MG), where he coordinates the “Direita vive!” movement. In November 2021, he was arrested red-handed for inciting violence, after encouraging the aggression of a 37-year-old woman who supported President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT).
Marcelo carries the nickname “Mito” for his devotion to former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL), who left the country on December 3rd of last year, heading to the USA, where he remains. In Juiz Fora, he even organized demonstrations against the closure of businesses at the height of the pandemic.
Marcelo is called “Myth” in honor of Jair Bolsonaro / Reproduction
Accused of financing a 20-bus tour to Brasília on January 8, businessman Cláudio Mazzia, a partner at Construtora Mazzia, was also arrested by Federal Police agents.
The businessman was at home in Londrina (PR) when he was arrested. At his home and at Construtora Mazzia’s office, the Federal Police carried out search and seizure warrants.
The fifth person arrested is José Fernando Honorato de Azevedo, 66 years old, a retired federal police officer, who is from Brasília, but was arrested in Goiânia (GO). On January 9, the day after the coup demonstrations, the former agent published a video on his social networks, in which he said that there were “infiltrators” in the depredation of the headquarters of the Planalto Palace, STF and National Congress.
In 2018, Azevedo was a candidate for district deputy, in the Federal District, for the PRP and was not elected, as he had a paltry 2,826 votes, 0.02% of the total. To the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) he declared that he had BRL 786 thousand in assets.
Operation Les Fatherland
The Federal Police reported that 11 preventive arrest warrants and 27 search and seizure warrants will be carried out in five states and in the Federal District, this Friday. The shares are divided as follows:
Federal District: 2 arrest warrants, 4 search and seizure warrants
Holy Spirit: 4 arrest warrants, 8 search and seizure warrants
Minas Gerais: 2 arrest warrants, 4 search and seizure warrants
Paraná: 1 arrest warrant, 1 search and seizure warrant
Rio de Janeiro: 1 arrest warrant, 9 search and seizure warrants
St. Catarina: 1 arrest warrant, 1 search and seizure warrant
Leonardo Rodrigues de Jesus, known as Léo Índio, nephew of Jair Bolsonaro, was the target of a search and seizure. He was involved in the invasion of the Planalto Palace and recorded videos showing the actions of the coup leaders.
Editing: Rodrigo Durão Coelho
