Between 19 and 31 December 2025 the Brazilian Federal Police carried out a series of integrated enforcement actions at São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport that resulted in the capture of fugitives, a string of arrests for international drug trafficking and significant narcotics seizures.
Brazil airport drug seizures highlight border enforcement
Federal Police agents operating across immigration control, aircraft aprons and customs checkpoints detained 13 people accused of international drug trafficking and seized almost 100 kilograms of illegal substances. Confiscated items included hashish, skunk, cocaine and amphetamine discovered in checked luggage on international flights. The operations benefited from intelligence systems and, in at least two cases, direct collaboration with the Federal Revenue Service.
The detainees included nationals from Brazil, Bulgaria, Venezuela, South Africa, Thailand, Sweden, Paraguay and Nigeria. In one action an individual was also taken into custody for illegal possession of narcotics. The evidence seized was processed and will be forwarded to the competent judicial authorities.
Captures of fugitives and judicial measures
As part of the same enforcement period, officers arrested 13 people wanted by courts in the states of São Paulo, Ceará, Minas Gerais, Bahia and Paraná. The outstanding warrants covered a range of serious offences, such as femicide, bodily injury, fraud, money laundering, organised crime, extortion, dissemination of pornography and receiving stolen goods. Those arrested were taken to the Federal Police station at Guarulhos and transferred to the prison system where they will remain at the disposal of the respective courts.
In separate passenger and baggage checks, authorities also seized two passports and a mobile phone under judicial order. These items have been submitted to the courts that issued the instructions.
Year-to-date figures and operational context
The December actions form part of an intensified enforcement effort at Guarulhos throughout 2025. From January to 31 December the Federal Police registered a record total of almost four tonnes of drugs seized at the airport. Over the same period 815 people were arrested, including 302 fugitives and 451 passengers charged with drug trafficking. Among those passengers, 187 were found carrying drugs in ingested capsule form, a method that presents significant health risks and requires specialist medical monitoring.
Authorities said the combined results reflect stepped-up border controls, closer inter-agency cooperation and the use of intelligence tools to detect and disrupt transnational criminal activity. The Federal Police stressed that operations at major international hubs remain a priority to prevent the flow of narcotics and to bring those wanted by justice to account.
For further information the Federal Police’s Social Communication office at Guarulhos provided a contact number: (11) 2445-2212.
Key Takeaways:
- Federal Police operations at São Paulo/Guarulhos led to 13 captures of fugitives and 13 arrests for international drug trafficking.
- Brazil airport drug seizures amounted to nearly 100 kg of hashish, skunk, cocaine and amphetamine in late December 2025.
- Operations involved multiple nationalities and cooperation with the Federal Revenue Service; two passports and a mobile phone were seized under court order.
- Year-to-date, Guarulhos recorded almost 4 tonnes of drugs seized and 815 arrests, underscoring intensified border controls.
