Buses on São Paulo's South Side ran packed on Thursday (17), as on any other morning. What was new happened away from the stops: civil police and state prosecutors launched Operation Vectura Corrupta, which investigates the infiltration of the PCC criminal organization (Primeiro Comando da Capital) into the city's bus companies, and one of its targets is Milton Leite, a former president of the São Paulo City Council who built his career in Grajaú, on the city's South Side.

The operation serves 16 arrest warrants and 18 search and seizure warrants in seven cities: São Paulo, Santana de Parnaíba, São Bernardo do Campo, Diadema, Santos, Praia Grande and Cubatão. According to Folha de S.Paulo, the warrants were issued by the 8th Criminal Chamber of the state Court of Justice and by the state court that handles organized crime and money laundering cases. The investigation is run by the drug enforcement police station of Mogi das Cruzes, with support from Gaeco, the organized crime task force of the São Paulo state prosecutors' office.

For Leite, 70, the court authorized a 30-day temporary arrest. Police did not find him at home; according to GloboNews, based on what officers saw at the property, the Civil Police now considers him a fugitive. In a statement, the former councilman denied it. "I am traveling, I am not a fugitive, and I will turn myself in to the authorities within 24 hours. I will prove my innocence against all the accusations," he said. According to G1, a house employee told officers that he left on Wednesday night (16) for a campaign commitment.

Leite left the City Council, São Paulo's municipal legislature, in 2024 after seven terms and four stints as its president. He was the city's second most voted councilman in 2020, with 132,716 votes, and now chairs União Brasil in the capital and the party's statewide federation with the PP, União Progressista. When he announced his retirement from public life, he said he planned to "go fishing, take care of my health, my family and my business".

What the investigation says

Investigators believe the gang directly or indirectly controls part of the companies that put buses on the street every day. Twelve of them are named: Viação Transcap, Alfa Rodobus, Transwolff, A2 Transportes, Imperial Transportes, Move Bus, Pêssego, Allianz, Transunião, Qualibus, Norte Bus and Spencer. In a statement, the prosecutors' office summarized the suspicion:

"At least 12 passenger bus companies operating in the city of São Paulo were identified as being directly or indirectly controlled by the PCC, some of which had already been investigated by the São Paulo State Civil Police and the prosecutors' office, including with charges already filed."

One of the named companies, Transwolff, had already been targeted by Operation Fim da Linha in 2024, when its then president, Luiz Carlos Efigênio Pacheco, known as Pandora, was arrested on suspicion of ties to the gang. According to G1, the court filing behind the new operation cites statements by military police officers, given in a Military Justice proceeding, that Leite was the de facto owner of Transwolff. GloboNews reporting also found that strategic decisions at companies suspected of PCC links depended on Leite's knowledge or political approval.

Also arrested were Levi dos Santos Oliveira, former president of SPTrans, the city agency that runs the bus system, and Danilo Marco Morgado Silva, who ran for mayor of Praia Grande in 2024 and whose current campaign for state deputy had its registration struck down. According to the investigation, Levi held regular meetings with José Daniel Satilite, described as a central figure in the scheme, to discuss the gang's interests in bus companies, and Danilo's 2024 mayoral campaign was allegedly financed by the organization. Vectura Corrupta follows Operation Decúrio of August 2024, which uncovered the PCC's internal communications network, including the Sintonia Restrita and Sintonia dos Gravatas cells, the latter made up of lawyers, and a plan to place organized crime figures in that year's municipal elections. Investigators are also looking into gang financing of campaigns in the current race.

What changes, and for whom

• Milton Leite: target of a 30-day temporary arrest warrant; police consider him a fugitive; he says he is traveling and will turn himself in within 24 hours.
• Others arrested: former SPTrans president Levi dos Santos Oliveira and former Praia Grande mayoral candidate Danilo Marco Morgado Silva.
• Where: seven cities, from the capital to the coast (São Paulo, Santana de Parnaíba, São Bernardo do Campo, Diadema, Santos, Praia Grande and Cubatão).
• Bus companies: 12 firms are named in the investigation; as of publication, no suspension of bus lines had been announced.