Luiz Fernando da Costa, widely known as Fernandinho Beira-Mar, is one of Brazil’s most prominent criminal figures of the past several decades. His name became nationally known through investigations and court proceedings involving organized crime and multiple criminal convictions. He has been imprisoned since 2001 and has spent much of his sentence in Brazil’s federal prison system.
According to the Federal Regional Court of the Fourth Region, in 2010 a federal court confirmed a sentence of 27 years, six months and six days against Costa following convictions involving international drug trafficking, arms trafficking, association with drug trafficking and money laundering. The court record stated that the case was connected to investigations into an international network operating between South America and Brazil.
His criminal record also includes convictions in other proceedings. In 2013, the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Rio de Janeiro reported that a jury court sentenced Costa to 80 years in prison in connection with the deaths of two former associates and an attempted killing. The sentence was subject to the applicable judicial procedures and appeals.
More recently, Brazilian authorities have continued to pursue legal proceedings involving Costa. In 2024, the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Rio de Janeiro identified him as one of the defendants in an investigation involving alleged criminal activity attributed to members of the Comando Vermelho. Those allegations concern a separate proceeding and should not be treated as additional convictions unless established by a court.
Despite having spent more than two decades in prison, Fernandinho Beira-Mar remains a recurring name in Brazilian criminal-justice records and reporting. His long history of convictions and continued legal proceedings has made him one of the most recognizable figures associated with organized crime in Brazil.
SOURCES
Tribunal Regional Federal da 4ª Região (TRF4)
TRF4 — Beira-Mar conviction
Conselho da Justiça Federal (CJF)
CJF — Beira-Mar conviction
Conselho Nacional de Procuradores-Gerais / MPRJ
CNPG — 2013 conviction report
Ministério Público do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
MPRJ — 2024 proceedings
