In a significant cross-border law enforcement operation, Paraguayan authorities have extradited former Federal Highway Police (PRF) director Erick Vasques to Brazil. The high-profile apprehension occurred at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport in Asunción, where Vasques was intercepted while attempting to board an international flight to El Salvador using counterfeit documentation.
The operation culminated at the Friendship Bridge border crossing, where masked Paraguayan security personnel formally transferred the detainee to officers of Brazil’s Federal Police (PF). Visual confirmation showed Vasques being transported without facial concealment in an official vehicle, marking his return to Brazilian jurisdiction.
This international manhunt was triggered when Brazilian judicial monitoring systems detected the unauthorized removal of Vasques’s court-mandated electronic ankle bracelet. Following the alert, a PF tactical unit conducted a search at his registered residence, confirming his absence and triggering immediate pretrial detention orders issued by Supreme Federal Court Minister Alexandre de Moraes.
The coordinated effort between Paraguayan and Brazilian authorities underscores increasing regional cooperation in apprehending individuals attempting to evade justice through international flight. Vasques’s capture represents a significant development in Brazil’s ongoing anti-corruption efforts, demonstrating the effectiveness of cross-border judicial collaboration.