Gerel Lusiano Palm, known as Holandês, and Juan Estebán Avendaño Perez escaped from the Joaquim Ferreira de Souza Prison in Bangu 8 during the afternoon of Saturday, before being recaptured hours later and transferred to the Laércio da Costa Pellegrino Penitentiary, known as Bangu 1. The transfer and recaptures were confirmed on Sunday night by the State Secretariat of Penal Administration (Seppen). According to the department, both inmates are now held in isolation under the Disciplinary Differential Regime (RDD), a measure applied to prisoners considered highly dangerous or those who committed serious infractions within the prison system.
How the Saturday Prison Break Unfolded
The breakout at the Bangu 8 facility occurred during the afternoon on Saturday. According to information obtained by TV Globo, the two inmates targeted a penal police officer working under the Additional Service Regime (RAS). They rendered the agent unconscious using a chokehold known as a “mata-leão,” stole his firearm, and escaped through the rear of the unit. To clear the perimeter, they used a “tereza,” which is an artisanal rope constructed out of bedsheets. Law enforcement recaptured both men hours after the escape.
Following their capture, Seppen moved the prisoners to Bangu 1. In solitary cells under the RDD framework, they remain separated from the general prison population without contact with other inmates.
International Background of Gerel Lusiano Palm
Gerel Lusiano Palm has a history involving international criminal investigations and extradition proceedings. The Federal Police arrested Palm in July 2021 at a luxury condominium in Barra da Tijuca to execute an extradition arrest warrant. At that time, his name appeared on Interpol’s Red Notice list, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) also sought him over suspected involvement in international drug trafficking. The court in Oost-Brabant, Netherlands, previously sentenced Palm to 20 years in prison for attempted homicide and illegal weapons possession, while a separate proceeding tied him to a 2015 homicide. Since his arrest in Brazil, he has awaited the finalization of his extradition.
In 2024, Palm’s case intersected with a Federal Police probe named Operation Anomalia. That inquiry examines alleged coordination by the Comando Vermelho to block his transfer to Dutch authorities. Investigators are probing suspicions of corruption, influence peddling, and money laundering involving both public agents and private individuals.
Did You Know?
Gerel Lusiano Palm was originally located and arrested by the Federal Police in July 2021 at a luxury condominium located in Barra da Tijuca while carrying an active Interpol Red Notice.
Criminal Record and Arrest of Juan Estebán Avendaño Perez
Juan Estebán Avendaño Perez carries a 40-year prison sentence handed down by the judiciary in Colombia for the 2010 murder of police officer Juan Camilo. Colombian investigations indicate the killing was organized to prevent paying a debt of roughly 10 million pesos owed to the officer. After escaping to Chile, Avendaño Perez relocated to Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Civil and Federal police investigations state that he belonged to the Medellín Cartel and operated as a connector between Colombian and Brazilian traffickers in the international drug trade.
Authorities located the Colombian national during an inquiry conducted by the 11th Police Precinct (Rocinha). Following an Interpol verification, a joint operation involving the Civil Police, Federal Police, and Interpol arrested him in the Muzema community on the West Side, backed by an arrest warrant issued by the Supreme Federal Court.
Details of prison conditions and international crimes of the escaped inmates
Where are the two escaped inmates currently held?
They are held in individual cells at the Laércio da Costa Pellegrino Penitentiary, known as Bangu 1, under the Disciplinary Differential Regime (RDD).
What crimes was Gerel Lusiano Palm wanted for internationally?
Palm was wanted by the United States DEA and listed on Interpol’s Red Notice for suspected international drug trafficking, alongside a 20-year sentence in the Netherlands for attempted homicide and illegal weapons possession.
How did the escape take place?
The two inmates subdued a penal officer using a chokehold, stole his weapon, and used a makeshift rope made of bedsheets to escape through the rear of the prison on Saturday afternoon.
How will authorities manage the pending extradition and legal proceedings?
What security adjustments might the penal administration implement next?
What steps will investigators take regarding the alleged local network?
How does this incident affect international law enforcement cooperation?
The swift recaptures demonstrate active coordination between domestic police agencies and international bodies like Interpol, which could reinforce future cross-border enforcement efforts.
What conditions do prisoners face under the Regime Disciplinar Diferenciado?
Inmates placed under RDD are kept in strict isolation in individual cells with no contact with other prisoners.
How long will the transferred prisoners remain in Bangu 1?
The duration of their stay in isolation depends on judicial determinations regarding the disciplinary infractions committed during the escape.
What measures can authorities implement to prevent similar breaches involving personnel working under additional service regimes?
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