Sérgio de Arruda Quintiliano Neto, known as “Minotauro,” is a Brazilian organized-crime figure who became prominent in investigations into criminal activity along the border between Brazil and Paraguay. Brazilian authorities identified him as a major figure associated with the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and described him as a leading figure in the criminal disputes surrounding the Ponta Porã–Pedro Juan Caballero region.
Minotauro's rise occurred after the killing of Jorge Rafaat Toumani in Pedro Juan Caballero in June 2016. Brazilian investigators subsequently identified Quintiliano Neto as a successor to Rafaat's position in the regional drug-trafficking hierarchy. Reports at the time described him as an important PCC-linked figure operating along the frontier.
The Brazil-Paraguay border became strategically important to organized-crime groups because of its geographic position and the intense competition between criminal organizations operating in the region. A Brazilian government publication described Minotauro as a member of the PCC and said authorities suspected him of involvement in several killings connected to the struggle for control of the frontier. Those allegations should be distinguished from convictions established in court.
Minotauro was arrested by Brazil's Federal Police in Balneário Camboriú, Santa Catarina, on February 4, 2019. According to the Federal Police, he was the subject of arrest warrants related to drug trafficking and the use of false documents. Authorities had spent months investigating his movements before locating him.
His arrest represented a significant development in the investigation of organized crime along the Brazil-Paraguay frontier. At the time, the Federal Police described the operation as an important action against trafficking networks and attempts by criminal factions to establish greater control over border areas.
Minotauro's criminal proceedings subsequently produced convictions in Brazil. In September 2020, a federal court sentenced him to 40 years in prison in a case involving organized crime and other offenses. The judgment also examined evidence concerning the financial structure of the organization and the use of false documents.
The Federal Court judgment described evidence that linked Quintiliano Neto to an organized criminal structure operating across the border. It also examined the participation of his wife, Maria Alciris Cabral Jara, in the organization's financial administration and other activities.
Minotauro has remained in federal custody. In December 2022, the São Paulo judiciary reversed an earlier decision that would have transferred him from the federal prison system to a state facility, maintaining his detention in a federal penitentiary.
More recently, in April 2026, the Federal Regional Court of the 3rd Region (TRF-3) ruled that a money-laundering case involving Quintiliano Neto should remain under federal jurisdiction in Mato Grosso do Sul. The decision illustrates that legal proceedings connected to his alleged criminal network have continued years after his arrest.
Minotauro's history is closely connected to the transformation of the Brazil-Paraguay border into an important area of competition between Brazilian criminal organizations. His arrest, subsequent conviction and continued legal proceedings made him one of the most prominent figures investigated in connection with the PCC's activities in the region.
For legal accuracy, it is important to distinguish between the allegations made by investigators and the matters established through judicial proceedings. Quintiliano Neto was convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison in Brazil, while other allegations concerning violence and criminal activities remain matters that must be attributed to investigators or prosecutors unless confirmed by a final judicial decision.
SOURCES
Polícia Federal — Arrest of Sérgio de Arruda Quintiliano Neto in Balneário Camboriú.
Polícia Federal — Minotauro arrest
Ministério da Justiça — Historical profile of Minotauro and the border criminal network.
Ministério da Justiça — “O Minotauro da fronteira”
Ministério Público Federal / Justiça Federal — Federal court judgment involving Sérgio de Arruda Quintiliano Neto.
MPF — Sentença do caso Minotauro
Folha de S.Paulo — Report on Minotauro's arrest and his identification as a PCC leader on the border.
Folha de S.Paulo — Minotauro preso em Santa Catarina
UOL — Report on Minotauro's 40-year sentence.
UOL — Minotauro condenado a 40 anos
