Brazilian Fugitive Living In MA Failed To Disclose 11 Murders On His Visa Application
A Brazilian national living in Malden, Massachusetts, has been indicted for using a fraudulently obtained visa to enter the United States and lying on his asylum application to conceal his involvement in one of Brazil’s most horrifying massacres. Known as The Slaughter of Curió, the mass killing left 11 people dead, most of them teenagers, in what was described as a brutal retaliation for the killing of a police officer.
Antonio Jose De Abreu Vidal Filho, now 30 years old, stands accused of visa fraud, perjury, and falsifying material facts. His charges stem from his failure to disclose his participation in the 2015 massacre when applying for entry to the United States and subsequently during his asylum process. He was detained following his initial appearance in federal court in Boston and is awaiting a hearing on June 5, 2024.
De Abreu’s story begins with his service in the Ceará State Military Police, a law enforcement agency responsible for first-line policing in Brazil. On November 11, 2015, a police officer in the Lagoa Redonda neighborhood of Fortaleza was shot and killed while defending his wife from an assault. Hours later, the police launched a retaliatory operation in several poor neighborhoods, including Barroso, Messejana, Guajeru, Curió, and Lagoa Redonda.
What unfolded was a gruesome act of retribution. Residents of these impoverished communities were rounded up and executed, with little regard for age or innocence. Among the 11 people murdered, many were teenagers. Survivors reported being subjected to physical and mental torture, further highlighting the brutality of the operation. This tragic event, known as A Chacina do Curió or The Curió Massacre, became one of Brazil’s most infamous examples of police violence and abuse of power.
In the aftermath, Brazilian authorities charged 45 people, including De Abreu, for their involvement in the massacre. He was arrested in 2016 but released in 2017 pending trial. This release gave him an opportunity to flee the country. Just two weeks after his release, De Abreu applied for a U.S. non-immigrant B2 visa while in Recife, Brazil. When asked on his application whether he had ever been arrested or convicted of any crime, he falsely responded “no.” This deception paved the way for the approval of his visa, allowing him to enter the United States on May 30, 2018.
Once in the U.S., De Abreu settled into a seemingly normal life. Between 2018 and 2023, he obtained driver’s licenses, a Social Security card, travel documents, and work authorizations, all facilitated by his fraudulent visa. In 2020, he took his deception further by applying for asylum, claiming he feared returning to Brazil. On his asylum application, De Abreu denied having been accused, charged, or detained in any country other than the United States. He also failed to disclose his role in the massacre or his prior arrest in Brazil.
While De Abreu lived freely in the United States, Brazilian courts continued to pursue justice for the victims of The Slaughter of Curió. In June 2023, he was convicted in absentia on 11 counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, and four counts of physical and mental torture. He was sentenced to 275 years and 11 months in prison. An arrest warrant was issued for him, but by that time, he had firmly established himself in the U.S., shielded by the lies on his immigration documents.
In February 2024, De Abreu testified under oath during an immigration court hearing. Under questioning, he claimed he had never lied to immigration officials, attributing omissions on his applications to the fact that he had not yet been arrested at the time. This statement was proven false, leading to federal charges for perjury, visa fraud, and falsifying material facts.
If convicted, De Abreu faces significant penalties in the United States. The charge of misuse of visas and permits carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, while perjury and falsifying material facts each carry up to five years in prison. Additionally, each charge includes fines of up to $250,000 and supervised release of up to three years. Sentences will be determined based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutory factors.
The story of The Slaughter of Curió and De Abreu’s subsequent flight to the U.S. highlights the devastating human cost of systemic corruption and police violence. It also exposes the vulnerabilities in immigration systems that can be exploited by those seeking to evade justice. As the case unfolds in U.S. courts, it represents an opportunity for accountability, not only for the crimes committed in Brazil but also for the deceit that allowed a convicted murderer to live freely in another country for years.
For the families of the victims, justice has been a long time coming. The Slaughter of Curió is not just a dark chapter in Brazil’s history—it is a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance in upholding the rule of law, both domestically and internationally.
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