By Brazil Stock Guide – What began with an unusual license signed by Brazil’s National Mining Agency (ANM) on Christmas Day 2019 has now unraveled into one of the country’s most sweeping corruption cases. A ruling by the Judge of the 3rd Federal Criminal Court in Belo Horizonte, which authorized arrests, asset freezes and search operations, details a sophisticated organization of businessmen, lobbyists and public officials who illegally exploited iron ore, laundered money on a massive scale and manipulated regulatory and political decisions for private gain.
Brazil’s federal police launched Operação Rejeito on Wednesday (Sept. 17), a money-laundering scheme that generated at least R$1.5 billion ($300 million). Authorities said the network also had projects underway with potential value exceeding R$18 billion. The Brazil Stock Guide is seeking comment from the defendants’ legal representatives. This article will be updated should a response be provided.
Court documents point to December 25, 2019, when a request by Mineração Gute Sicht was approved by Guilherme Santana Lopes Gomes, then an ANM division head in Minas Gerais. The decision ignored opinions from the Attorney General’s Office and was processed in an incompetent division of the agency. The following day, WhatsApp messages showed direct contact between Lopes and businessmen tied to the miner, suggesting collusion. Months later, promoted to ANM’s national board, Lopes accelerated further licenses that would normally take years to obtain.
According to the ruling, Alan Cavalcante do Nascimento, Hélder Adriano de Freitas and João Alberto Paixão Lages built a criminal holding. On paper, they multiplied companies at high speed: more than forty, many opened in series, often registered at the same address in Belo Horizonte. In practice, these firms — including Fleurs Global Mineração, Mineração Gute Sicht and Grupo Minerar — served as fronts to mask illegal operations, moving hundreds of millions of reais and obtaining permits in protected areas and heritage sites.
Professionalized structure
Investigators found the group divided its activities into specialized cells. A leadership nucleus took strategic decisions; a financial-administrative unit moved funds and paid bribes; and an inter-institutional network of former officials and lobbyists worked to neutralize oversight and influence votes in the Minas Gerais legislature. Former Nova Lima environment secretary Danilo Vieira Jr. allegedly received millions to ease approvals, while geographer Gilberto Horta acted to block conservation bills that could have created new parks in the Serra do Curral, closing off mining opportunities.
At the core was the capture of public servants. Officials at ANM, Semad, Ibama and Iphan are listed as beneficiaries of systematic payments. Former Iphan superintendent Débora França is cited for allegedly profiting through her private firm. The aim was always the same: to secure fraudulent licenses, mold technical opinions to the group’s interests, and at times revoke competitors’ permits to clear the way.
Two senior ANM figures were also drawn into the case. Caio Mário Trivellato Seabra Filho, a lawyer with a master’s degree in mining and corporate law, joined the agency in 2020, became head of mineral planning and was appointed director in 2023, focusing on regulatory disputes and land availability processes. Guilherme Santana Lopes Gomes, a mining engineer and ANM career official since 2006, served as director from 2021 to 2024.
The financial trail shows how the network worked to frustrate oversight. Millions flowed through companies such as ANHD Participações and KIP Participações before reaching leaders. In some cases, cash was withdrawn and delivered directly to officials. Alan Cavalcante alone is said to have received more than R$ 230 million between 2020 and 2023. Operators such as Felipe Lombardi Martins and Jamis Prado Jr. acted as “bagmen,” converting deposits into bribes in cash.
Beyond money, the organization invested in institutional protection. Internal meetings were minuted, and even WhatsApp groups — with names such as “Minerar Aportes” — coordinated partners’ contributions. When external threats emerged, such as environmental bills, the group mobilized intermediaries to delay or block votes. At the same time, it drafted administrative rulings later signed by agencies, creating a cycle of capture and manipulation within the state apparatus.
The crackdown
According to the Federal Court’s ruling, Operação Rejeito broke this cycle by exposing its scale: 22 arrest warrants, 79 search and seizure orders, and the freezing of R$ 1.5 billion in assets. The fallout goes beyond criminal charges. With projects under the network valued at over R$ 18 billion, the case underscores how institutional loopholes and systemic corruption erode regulatory credibility and expose investors to legal and reputational risks.
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