Miguel Ángel Insfrán Galeano, known as “Tío Rico,” is a Paraguayan organized-crime figure who became one of the principal targets of Paraguay’s Operation A Ultranza Py, an investigation into an alleged international criminal organization.
Paraguayan prosecutors accused Insfrán of participating in an organization involved in the international trafficking of cocaine, criminal association and money laundering. According to the extradition proceedings before Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court, Paraguayan authorities alleged that Insfrán worked with Uruguayan national Sebastián Marset from 2020 onward, coordinating logistics for the movement of cocaine within Paraguay and its subsequent shipment abroad.
The investigation described a structure involving transportation, storage and the movement of illicit cargo before its alleged export from Paraguay. These allegations formed part of the criminal case known as A Ultranza Py, one of Paraguay’s major investigations into transnational organized crime.
Insfrán was arrested in Rio de Janeiro on February 9, 2023, following cooperation between Brazilian and Paraguayan authorities. Paraguay's Public Prosecutor's Office immediately began procedures seeking his extradition, and described him as a major target of the A Ultranza investigation.
The arrest also attracted international attention because Insfrán had been publicly linked to the investigation into the killing of Paraguayan prosecutor Marcelo Pecci in Colombia in May 2022. At the time of his arrest, Brazilian authorities and international media described him as a suspected mastermind, or alleged “intellectual author,” of the killing. However, Paraguayan prosecutor Manuel Doldán stated in May 2023 that Insfrán had not been formally linked to the Pecci case in the Paraguayan proceedings underlying his extradition.
That distinction is important. The extradition authorized by Brazil concerned the Paraguayan proceedings involving alleged drug trafficking, criminal association and related offenses. It did not constitute a judicial finding that Insfrán ordered Pecci's assassination. The latter allegation was investigated separately and has been publicly attributed to authorities and investigators rather than established here as a final conviction.
Brazil's Supreme Federal Court approved Insfrán's voluntary extradition after reviewing the Paraguayan request. The court's decision records that he consented to being surrendered to Paraguay and that the necessary legal requirements for extradition were satisfied.
On May 19, 2023, Insfrán was extradited from Brazil and arrived at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport in Paraguay. The Paraguayan Public Prosecutor's Office confirmed his arrival and stated that he was wanted in case No. 538/2022, concerning alleged drug trafficking and related offenses.
Insfrán's case became particularly significant because it crossed several national jurisdictions. Investigations in Paraguay examined the alleged criminal organization, Brazil became the country where he was located and arrested, and Colombia investigated the murder of Marcelo Pecci.
For historical and legal accuracy, Insfrán should therefore be described as an alleged leader or participant in a transnational criminal organization according to Paraguayan authorities, and as a person accused in the A Ultranza Py proceedings. Claims that he was responsible for ordering Pecci's murder should remain explicitly attributed to investigators and should not be presented as a definitive judicial finding without a corresponding conviction.
SOURCES
Supremo Tribunal Federal do Brasil — Extradition proceeding involving Miguel Ángel Insfrán Galeano. Supremo Tribunal Federal
Ministerio Público de Paraguay — Confirmation of Insfrán's extradition and arrival in Paraguay. Ministerio Público de Paraguay
Ministerio Público de Paraguay — Extradition request following his arrest in Brazil. Ministerio Público de Paraguay
ABC Color — Extradition and the A Ultranza Py proceedings. ABC Color
UOL / AFP — Arrest of Insfrán in Rio de Janeiro and allegations concerning the Pecci case. UOL / AFP
