ICE Boston arrests Brazilian fugitive wanted for role in 11 murders, torture

BOSTON — On Aug. 14, Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston arrested a former Brazilian military police officer who was convicted of multiple murders and sentenced to more than 200 years in prison for his part in a 2015 Brazilian massacre.

Antonio Jose De Abreu Vidal Filho, 29, became the subject of an active Interpol Red Notice issued by the international criminal police organization after he was convicted of 11 murders and sentenced to 275 years and eleven months in prison in June 2023 by a criminal court in the state of Ceara, Brazil. Vidal was convicted, along with three other Brazilian military police officers, of 11 murder charges plus charges of attempted murder and physical and mental torture. The crimes took place in November 2015 during what’s come to be known as the “Curio Massacre” for the name of the neighborhood in the Brazilian city of Fortaleza where they occurred.

“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. “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 ERO Boston apprehended Vidal in Rye, New Hampshire, taking him into custody without incident. He will remain in ICE custody pending a hearing before a federal immigration judge.

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 serves as an international wanted notice and provides information on the identification of fugitives charged with or convicted of serious crimes who have fled prosecution or the serving of their sentence.