Brazil arrests mining agency head in corruption probe

Authorities in Brazil arrested the head of the country’s mining agency (Agência Nacional de Mineração, or ANM) as part of a wide-ranging federal operation targeting corruption, environmental crimes and illegal mining activity in the mineral-rich state of Minas Gerais.

ANM director Caio Seabra Filho was arrested Wednesday as law enforcement officers carried out 79 search and seizure warrants and issued 22 preventive arrest orders, police said. Over 1.5 billion reais ($300 million) in assets were frozen or seized, and operations of companies directly linked to the scheme were suspended. Investigators also flagged several active projects tied to the network that could exceed 18 billion reais in economic value.

Launched by the federal police in partnership with the Federal Prosecution Service, the Comptroller General’s Office and Brazil’s Internal Revenue Service, the investigation has revealed a complex criminal network accused of fraudulently securing environmental and mining licenses. These licenses enabled illegal iron ore extraction in areas protected under federal environmental and cultural heritage laws – such as parts of the Serra do Curral, the Cercadinho Ecological Station and the Serra do Rola Moça State Park.

Police say the investigation’s main target is a conglomerate of more than 40 companies, led by a holding called Minerar, which is active in iron ore extraction in several environmentally sensitive regions of Minas Gerais.

Authorities allege that public officials and private actors worked in tandem to bypass regulatory processes and approve high-value mining projects without proper oversight or legal compliance.

Seabra, a lawyer specialized in mining and environmental law, was appointed to the agency’s board in late 2023. He previously held influential roles within the ANM, including director of area availability and superintendent of mineral resources.

Other individuals arrested Wednesday include Rodrigo de Melo Teixeira, a former head of administrative police at Brazil’s federal police who now works for the Brazilian Geological Survey. Investigators suspect that he held a hidden ownership stake in a mining company, in a direct conflict of interest.

Minas Gerais, one of Brazil’s top mining jurisdictions, has faced sustained scrutiny over the past decade following the Mariana and Brumadinho tailings dam disasters.