Court releases suspect who was the target of US sanctions for alleged link with PCC

She was temporarily detained. The decision that released her pointed out that there were no reasons to convert her detention into preventive detention (without a deadline) and stated that the other restrictive measures, such as the freezing of assets, are already sufficient for the investigation so far.

Lawyer Robson Cyrillo, who defends Stella, declared in a statement that "he will not comment on the content of the decision or the elements contained in the case file in respect of the judicial secrecy that falls on the investigation."

He also stated that he "receives the decision with respect and serenity" and "reaffirms his confidence that Stella's innocence will be fully demonstrated during the investigation."

The decision that revoked Stella's temporary arrest did the same for six people under investigation. For another six, in turn, the Court ordered preventive detention.

Among those who will remain with an active arrest warrant is Victor Shimada, the main target of last week's operation and for whom Stella Nunes de Oliveira worked. He's on the run. His defense told Folha this Wednesday (8) that he intends to file a habeas corpus to revoke his arrest.

On Wednesday (1st), both Stella and Shimada were targeted by United States sanctions for an alleged connection with the PCC, a criminal organization that Donald Trump's government considered terrorist at the beginning of June.

Investigations against Shimada in Brazil point to him as the controller of a money laundering network set up in the service of drug trafficking.

It operated through two companies - Wave Intermediações, registered in the name of third parties, and Victory Trading, of which it is a partner - used to receive and conceal funds of illicit origin. His name came up in Operation Saturn, an investigation by the São Paulo Civil Police that began in 2024.

The final report, sent to the Court in May, maintains that Shimada's structure intersects with other major investigations underway in the country: the INSS and Banco Master frauds and Operation Hidden Carbon, albeit indirectly.

Part of the calls were made through so-called "pocket" accounts, used to launder money from different criminal sources, according to investigations.

Shimada was already known to the courts and was arrested at the end of 2024 accused of embezzling R$35 million from the Votorantim bank.

The decision that ordered his arrest, signed by judge Bárbara de Lima Iseppi, concluded that keeping him free would be a risk to public order and the conduct of the investigations.

He ended up released 25 days later, after obtaining a habeas corpus at the TRF-3 (Federal Regional Court of the 3rd Region).

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