BOSTON — Eighteen Brazilian nationals living in Massachusetts are facing federal charges and authorities have seized more than 100 illegal firearms in a federal crackdown on gun trafficking, the U.S. Attorney said Wednesday.
From Cape Cod to Boston to communities north, south and west of Boston, the charges announced Wednesday come after a year-long federal investigation into illegal firearm sales across Massachusetts, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement.
The illegal firearm trafficking is allegedly tied to a transnational crime syndicate that flourished in communities across the Bay State, Foley said.
“As alleged, these defendants – most of whom have no legal status in the United States – played a role in bringing deadly weapons into Massachusetts, some as traffickers and others as unlawful possessors,” Foley said Wednesday.
“This kind of lawlessness fuels violent crime and empowers transnational criminal organizations that profit from chaos and fear. It puts American lives at risk,” Foley said. “This case is a testament to the strength of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partnerships in keeping our communities safe and upholding the rule of law.”
According to the charging documents, the investigation identified Brazilian nationals in several communities in Massachusetts who have allegedly been involved in the sale of various types of firearms.
Prosecutors allege some of the firearms were tied to gang-related activities involving a large transnational criminal organization, Primeiro Comando da Capital, as well as smaller, local street gangs, specifically the “Tropa de Sete” and “Trem Bala” street gangs.
Primeiro Comando da Capital, originally founded in the prison systems in São Paulo, Brazil, is one of the largest criminal organizations in Brazil and Latin America, Foley said.
Prosecutors allege that Primeiro Comando da Capital members and their associates “are known to commit violent offenses in furtherance of the organization, to include murders, armed robberies, kidnappings and the coordination of a transnational drug trafficking operation.”
To date, investigators have seized approximately 110 firearms and trafficking quantities of fentanyl and ammunition since the investigation began in 2024.
The firearms allegedly recovered include, but are not limited to, handguns, rifles, short-barreled rifles and shotguns that were primarily trafficked from areas in Florida and South Carolina into Massachusetts.
Foley said most of the men charged are in the United States illegally. The following men are all charged with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license:
- Guilherme Fernandes Tavares, 31, illegal, resided in Marlborough;
- Lucas Henrique Moreira De Paiva, 22, illegal, resided in Malden, Weymouth and Chelsea;
- Victor Eduardo Santos De Souza, 21, illegal, resided in Framingham and Revere;
- Rafaell Martins Ferreira, 27, illegal, resided in Boston;
- Riquelme Henrique De Aguilar Ferreira, 21, illegal, resided in Framingham and Revere;
- Lucas Ferreira-Da Silva, 27, of Malden;
- Israel Yurisson Dos Santos, 24, illegal, resided in Marlborough;
- Alason Ferreira-Peixoto, 22, of West Yarmouth;
- Gideoni De Oliveira Moutinho, 32, illegal, resided in Malden, Weymouth and Chelsea;
- Lucas Nascimento-Siva, 27, of West Yarmouth;
- Vanderson Rocha Oliveira, 31, illegal, resided in Boston;
- Joao Vitor Dos Santos Goncalves Pimenta, 20, illegal, resided in Malden;
- Patrick Rodrigues De Oliveira, 34, of Framingham;
- Marcos Paulo Silva, 24, illegal, resided in Boston;
- Talles Provette De Faria, 34, of Barnstable and Plymouth;
Provette De Faria also faces the charge of distribution of fentanyl.
Two additional men, Joao Victor Da Silva Soares, 21, of Everett, and Floriano De Souza, 50, an illegal resident who lived in Yarmouth, are charged with conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license.
Kessi Jhonny Firmino Sales, 23, an illegal resident who lived in West Yarmouth, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
“This case involved the trafficking of well over 100 illegal firearms and included 18 defendants, many of whom are illegal aliens allegedly engaged in the unlawful possession and distribution of deadly weapons,” James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division, said in a statement.
“The combination of illegal firearms and individuals unlawfully in our country presents a grave threat to public safety,” Ferguson said. “ATF will not stand by – we will continue to work aggressively with our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate and dismantle those who arm criminals and endanger our communities.”
Patricia Hyde, Acting Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston, said in a statement that many of the 18 Brazilian nationals facing charges “illegally settled in our Massachusetts communities apparently with the intention of causing harm to our residents.”
“Not only were they allegedly members or associates of dangerous transnational criminal organizations, but they were also allegedly involved in trafficking significant amounts of illegal firearms, ammunition, and fentanyl,” Hyde said. “ICE Boston will continue to prioritize the safety of our public by arresting and removing illegal alien offenders from our New England neighborhoods.”
For the charges of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license and conspiracy, the men face a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
For the charge of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, Firmino Sales faces a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
The men are subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed, officials said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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