MANAUS, BRAZIL — A precision rifle used by snipers and capable of targeting aircraft and penetrating armored vehicles was seized by Brazil's Federal Police during Operation La Máquina, launched Thursday (13) against a criminal organization operating in Amazonas state.

The weapon was found in Manaus. It is a Barrett M82A1, or a direct variant of the Barrett M82/M107 series, chambered in .50 BMG. Other weapons, a truck trailer, motorcycles and cash were also seized during the operation.

The operation is investigating a group suspected of involvement in interstate drug trafficking and money laundering. According to the Federal Police, the organization used small aircraft, pilots and clandestine airstrips to transport drugs from the Amazon region to other parts of Brazil.

After moving proceeds from drug trafficking, the group used strategies to conceal the origin of the funds, according to investigators. The practices identified include the use of shell companies, deposits and split transfers, transactions carried out through third parties, and the acquisition of assets in the names of nominees.

Court-issued search and arrest warrants were served in Amazonas and seven other states: Tocantins, Roraima, Pará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Ceará and Santa Catarina. Ten people were arrested, including the organization's logistics chief in the state.

Images Credt: Brazil’s Federal Police

Amazon Agency