The President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, revealed this Tuesday that he directly requested his counterpart from the United States, Donald Trump, to collaborate in the detention of the 'country's biggest debtor', a businessman who currently resides in Miami and is identified as a major crime organization boss linked to tax evasion.
The request was made during a 40-minute phone call between the two leaders on December 2nd, where they also addressed various bilateral issues, including the trade, economic agenda, and the fight against transnational organized crime, as learned by the Argentine News Agency.
Direct Request to Trump
At an event at the Planalto Palace, Lula da Silva recounted his conversation with Trump: 'I called President Trump telling him that if he wants to face organized crime, we are available.'
The Brazilian head of state went further, specifying the particular case: 'I even told him that a major crime boss in Brazil, who is the country's biggest debtor, an importer of fossil fuel, lives in Miami.'
Lula da Silva concluded his message to the US president with a clear call to action: 'So, if you want to help, help by arresting that guy once and for all, because the Federal Revenue Service of Brazil (Receita Federal) has seized five [of his] assets here.'
Link to the Refit Group and the PCC
Although the president did not name names, the reference to the biggest tax evader and 'mayor-debtor' who imports fossil fuel points to the Refit group, which controls the Manguinhos refinery.
Refit was the subject of Operation Hidden Carbon last August, one of the largest actions against tax evasion and organized crime carried out in Brazil, which mobilized about 1,400 agents.
The operation investigated companies in the fuel sector and the financial market that maintain ties with the First Capital Command (PCC), the country's largest criminal organization.
Additionally, the Brazilian Federal Revenue Service is investigating Refit's irregularities with companies registered in the US state of Delaware, highlighting the international scope of the case.
