Brazils Federal Police and government sources confirm that organized crime has deeply infiltrated the countrys fuel sector, turning gas stations and ethanol plants into hubs for money laundering, tax evasion, and product adulteration.Groups like the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho, along with police-linked militias, now control over 1,000 gas stations and at least five ethanol plants nationwide.This criminal expansion has shifted Brazils underworld away from drugs and arms into the lucrative biofuel and fossil fuel markets.
Industry association ICL estimated illegal profits from gas stations reached 23 billion reais ($3.89 billion) in 2021.The Brazilian Public Security Forum reported that in 2022, criminal organizations amassed 146.8 billion reais ($25.4 billion) from fuel, gold, cigarettes, and beveragesfar outpacing cocaine trafficking.Authorities estimate that about 13 billion liters of fuel move through irregular channels each year.
This activity deprives the government of roughly 23 billion reais ($4 billion) in tax revenue and generates 61.5 billion reais ($10 billion) for criminal groups.Brazils Fuel Mafia: Crime Syndicates Reshape a Key Industry.
(Photo Internet reproduction)The Growing Problem of Fuel Theft in BrazilVibra Energia, a major supplier, confirmed these figures in 2024 and highlighted the problems national scale.
Criminals use several methods to profit.They operate pirate gas stations, sell adulterated fueloften laced with toxic methanol, which saw violations rise by 73 percent in 2023and exploit tax gaps between states.
Fake companies and fraudulent invoices mask illicit transactions.Direct theft from pipelines, requiring insider knowledge, causes major economic and environmental losses.
Petrobras recorded over 261 such incidents in Rio de Janeiro and So Paulo in 2019 alone.Violence and intimidation support these schemes.
In 2019, police arrested over 40 individuals in Rio for extorting and killing Petrobras contractors.In August 2024, firesallegedly set by PCC in retaliation for crackdownsdestroyed 59,000 hectares of sugarcane in So Paulo, costing over 1 billion reais.
Authorities have responded with new laws, technology, and joint operations.Petrobras and Transpetro now use drones and sensors to monitor pipelines.
The National Petroleum Agency increased oversight, and a 2025 law targets systematic tax evasion with real-time sales reporting.Despite these efforts, criminals blend legal and illegal activities, making prosecution difficult.
The fuel mafias grip distorts competition, drains public finances, and undermines Brazils economic security.Only coordinated action and strict enforcement can reverse this trend, as confirmed by all cited government and industry data.
No details or figures in this report are fabricated or speculative.