A court order authorizing the temporary arrest of Milton Leite, a former president of the São Paulo City Council (União Brasil party), states that members of the PCC, Brazil's largest criminal faction, had decision-making power over financial contributions to political campaigns in the city. The finding is part of the ruling behind Operation Vectura Corrupta, launched on Thursday (Sept 17) by the São Paulo Civil Police and state prosecutors, according to a report by Folha de S.Paulo.
According to the investigation cited by the court, 12 of the 22 bus companies serving São Paulo are controlled by the faction. In a statement, the state Public Security Secretariat (SSP-SP) said officers were serving 16 arrest warrants and 18 search warrants in seven cities: São Paulo, Santana de Parnaíba, São Bernardo do Campo, Diadema, Santos, Praia Grande and Cubatão. By Thursday morning, nine suspects had been arrested. Folha's report counted 13 people targeted by arrest warrants. All those named are suspects under investigation; none has been convicted.
What the ruling says
A central piece of evidence was the cell phone of suspect José Daniel Satilite, owner of bus company Translider. According to the court document quoted by Folha, the messages recovered dealt with the faction's reach into the justice system and the public sector:
"The conversations covered matters related to the 'Sintonia dos Gravatas' [a sector grouping lawyers tied to the PCC], payment of legal fees, legal strategies on behalf of imprisoned members, court measures of interest to the faction and coordination with political agents."
It is in that context that the ruling states faction members decided cash injections into electoral campaigns in São Paulo, Folha reports. News site Poder360 described the current phase as an investigation of the PCC's "political arm", and the SSP-SP statement says investigators identified "lawyers and politicians who were part of the criminal strategy". The disclosure comes less than three weeks before the first round of Brazil's 2026 elections, set for October 4.
The defense and next steps
This is the third phase of Vectura Corrupta, run by the narcotics investigation unit (Dise) of Mogi das Cruzes with support from state prosecutors. Earlier phases examined the faction's infiltration of the city's bus system. Leite, who once led the City Council, was not found at his registered addresses. Reached by phone by Folha, he said he was outside São Paulo and not on the run: "I will turn myself in within 24 hours. I am getting organized with my lawyers."
Leite denies all the accusations, including the claim that he owns bus company Transwolf. In an audio message sent to Poder360, he said:
"I categorically deny any and all relationship with the PCC; I do not know a single member of it in this city or in this country. My relationship with the bus companies was institutional, because in 2019 mayor Bruno Covas asked me to take charge of the transport portfolio [...] Moreover, I am not a fugitive, I will turn myself in within 24 hours."
The expected next step is Leite's surrender to the police, promised within 24 hours of his statement, which would be by Friday (Sept 18). Temporary arrest is a precautionary measure for investigation and does not amount to a conviction. Once the warrants are served, state prosecutors will decide whether to file formal charges against the suspects.