Rio de Janeiro Police Arrest Suspect Believed to Be Financial Operator for Former Congressman TH Joias

Civil police officers in Rio de Janeiro arrested Leandro Ferreira Marçal on Wednesday (22), suspected of being a financial operator for former state representative Tiego Raimundo dos Santos, known as TH Joias.

TH was arrested in September 2025 by the Federal Police on charges of negotiating weapons, drugs and equipment for the Comando Vermelho. As a development of the operation, the former president of Alerj (Rio de Janeiro Legislative Assembly), Rodrigo Bacellar, was arrested two months later under suspicion of leaking information about operations to TH Joias.

The report did not identify legal representation for Leandro Ferreira Marçal. The Civil Police did not confirm whether he had an attorney in this case.

Marçal was arrested by agents from Desarme (the Specialized Delegation for Weapons, Ammunition and Explosives) in Marechal Hermes, in the northern zone of Rio. He had an outstanding arrest warrant and was considered a fugitive. According to the Civil Police, Marçal was located through data cross-referencing that identified addresses where he might be found.

In a report, the Federal Police indicated that Marçal belonged to a "logistics unit" within TH Joias's inner circle, which acted as an intermediary between faction leaders and public officials. He maintained frequent contact with CV members and was responsible for collecting money, according to the investigation.

Marçal was hired as a parliamentary aide at Alerj (Rio de Janeiro Legislative Assembly). His appointment to TH Joias's parliamentary office, according to the Civil Police, "served as a front and facilitated the circulation of illicit funds."

One part of the investigation indicates that the suspects conducted currency exchange operations with money derived from drug trafficking. In April 2024, Gabriel Dias de Oliveira, known as Índio and identified as a CV drug trafficker, transferred R$5 million to TH Joias in the Complexo do Alemão. Part of that amount was left in Marçal's custody, according to the investigation.

Marçal was sentenced to six years and six months in prison for participating in an aggravated criminal organization and loss of public office — he had already been dismissed from Alerj at the time of the investigations.

The indictment by the Rio de Janeiro Prosecutor's Office states that TH acted as a "political operator for the faction." In December, the former representative's defense declared that he is the target of political persecution.