Piauí Court Reinstates Money Laundering Investigation Involving Senator Ciro Nogueira's Allies

The Piauí Justice Court (TJ-PI) has ordered the resumption of a key investigation into a suspected money laundering scheme linked to the fuel sector, involving associates of Senator Ciro Nogueira (PP/PI). This judicial decision, made public on April 23, 2026, overturned a prior ruling that had suspended the inquiry conducted under Operation Carbono Oculto 86, which focuses on alleged connections with the criminal organization PCC.

The court reinstated several precautionary measures, including suspending the economic activities of implicated companies, closing establishments, and freezing financial assets associated with the HD and Diamante fuel station network. The investigation, led by the Piauí Civil Police, is a continuation of the larger Carbono Oculto operation initially launched in São Paulo but adapted to Piauí's area code as number 86.

Key figures in the investigation include local entrepreneurs Haran Sampaio, Danillo Coelho de Sousa, and Victor Linhares. They are suspected of close ties to alleged money laundering leaders Roberto Augusto Leme da Silva (also known as Beto Louco) and Mohamed Hussein Mourad (Primo). Audio recordings highlighted a close friendship between Senator Nogueira and Beto Louco, although Nogueira himself is not formally under investigation. Due to references involving him and federal deputy Júlio Arcoverde (PP-PI), the case was referred to the Supreme Federal Court (STF) because of parliamentary immunity.

On March 24, the Piauí Public Prosecutor's Office charged Sampaio, Coelho de Sousa, and Linhares with fuel adulteration, asset concealment, money laundering, and criminal association. However, a lower court judge, Valdemir Ferreira Santos, had halted the investigation, citing an STF minister's ruling. The Public Prosecutor's Office appealed this suspension, resulting in Desembargador José Vidal de Freitas Filho reinstating the investigation and transferring it to the Criminal Organization Crimes Court in Teresina for further proceedings.

This judicial development marks a significant step in the ongoing scrutiny of corruption and money laundering in Piauí's fuel sector linked with high-profile political figures and organized crime. The active reinstitution of investigative measures aims to ensure thorough examination of the alleged criminal networks underpinning the fuel business in the region.