A Brazilian man, formerly a member of the Brazilian state military police, was indicted by federal prosecutors in Boston for visa fraud and perjury, authorities announced. Antonio Jose De Abreu Vidal Filho, a Malden resident, allegedly entered the United States with a visa obtained under false pretense and lied on his asylum application after being involved in a notorious killing spree in Brazil known as The Slaughter of Curió.
The accusation from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Massachusetts states that De Abreu never disclosed his role in the massacre of 11 people, primarily teenagers, that occurred in retaliation for the murder of a police colleague in Brazil. The 30-year-old is now facing two counts of visa fraud, and two counts of perjury, along with a count of falsifying a material fact. The U.S. Department of Justice said he was ordered held pending a June 5 hearing.
De Abreu was implicated in the grisly event on November 12, 2015, when a group of military police officers went on a vengeance-fueled rampage killing 11 people in impoverished neighborhoods of Ceará's capital following the killing of one of their own. He was detained by Brazilian authorities in 2016 but later released, subsequently applying for a U.S. visa in 2017 by allegedly stating he had never been arrested or convicted of a crime.
After securing a B2 visa, De Abreu traveled to Miami in 2018 and managed to obtain driver's licenses, a social security card, and work authorizations, the indictment details. He applied for asylum in 2020, and despite facing serious charges in Brazil, he told immigration officials under oath in 2024 that his omission of pertinent information was because his arrest had not occurred before his departure to the United States. The charges against De Abreu carry potential penalties totaling decades in prison and hefty fines.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy, taking the lead in the prosecution of the case, said the investigation was assisted by an interagency team focusing on human rights violators and war crimes. The allegations bode significant for De Abreu who was convicted by Brazilian authorities in June 2023 of murder, attempted murder, and torture, receiving a sentence of 275 years in Brazilian prison.
While the indictment puts forward serious allegations, it must be remembered that the legal principle holds: the defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until proven guilty in a court of law.
