Terror threat? Wanted former Brazilian military police officer who murdered 11 arrested by ICE in New Hampshire

RYE, NH – According to a press release from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a former Brazilian military police officer who was convicted of multiple murders in a 2015 Brazil massacre.

The man, identified as 29-year-old Antonio Jose De Abreu Vidal Filho, was sentenced to more than 200 years in prison for his part in the 2015 murders.

The former Brazilian military police officer became the subject of an active Interpol Red Notice issued by the international criminal police organization after he was convicted of 11 murders in total and sentenced to 275 years and 11 months in prison.

He was sentenced in June 2023 by a criminal court in the state of Ceara, Brazil. Vidal was convicted along with three other Brazilian military police officers. They were all convicted of the 11 murder charges, plus charges of attempted murder and physical and mental torture.

These horrific crimes took place in the month of November 2015, during what has since been labeled as the “Curio Massacre," named after the neighborhood in the Brazilian city of Fortaleza where it all happened.

In a statement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston Field Office Director Todd Lyons said, “The apprehension of this very dangerous foreign fugitive is an outstanding example of the professionalism and expertise of the officers of ERO Boston.

We are proud to have taken this notorious criminal, convicted of participating in multiple heinous murders in Brazil, off our streets. The dedication of ERO Boston officers has once again made our communities safer and more secure with this arrest."

According to reports, the arrest of Vidal took place on the morning of August 14th at a home under construction in Rye, New Hampshire. Sammy Johnson, Vidal’s co-worker, said that federal agents swarmed around the person they only knew as “Tony," Tony the roofer. 

“This F150 comes bombing up the driveway, turns," Johnson said.

"Blue lights, but no sirens, and these guys are just coming out. And they’re like bombing around the car, like ‘Get on the ground!’ You have your nerves, your adrenaline’s going, and there’s a snippet in your head where you’re like, ‘Am I going to get shot?

“We had no clue, no clue. The guy seemed like a nice guy, made chit-chat. It’s just crazy how you have no clue in this day and age - and how he got into New Hampshire."

One co-worker, who did not want to be identified, said that Vidal had told everyone that he and his wife had come from Brazil to escape the violence and to start a family. The co-worker added, “To hear that might not be the truth, it’s rather frightening that I believed him."

Vidal was taken into custody without incident and he will remain in ICE custody pending a hearing before a federal immigration judge. Rye Police Chief Kevin Walsh said his department was prepared for the unusual mission despite only having a day’s notice. 

“No area in New Hampshire is safe from somebody like that," the chief said. "So, we want to support the federal agency to make sure the person is apprehended safely."

In fiscal year 2022, ERO arrested 46,396 noncitizens with criminal histories. This group had 198,498 associated charges and convictions, including 21,531 assault offenses; 8,164 sex and sexual assault offenses; 5,554 weapons offenses; 1,501 homicide-related offenses; and 1,114 kidnapping offenses.
 
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