The final minutes of Bruno and Dom in São Rafael

There are many questions about the murders of Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira still unexplained. The bodies have already been located and recognized as belonging to the British journalist and the Brazilian indigenous expert. Fisherman Amarildo de Oliveira have confessed to the crime. He is in prison with his brother Oseney and Jefferson da Silva Lima. Indigenous people who witnessed the final minutes of Dom and Bruno in Vale do Javari, in the extreme west of the Amazonas Sate, helped to elucidate how criminals who hunt and fish illegally on indigenous lands participated in the murder. But now Brazil’s Federal Police have decided to close the case, ignoring complaints from the criminal network that threatens the region’s indigenous people. Amazônia Real retraced, a week ago, the paths of the pair to reconstitute the final minutes before they were considered as disappeared. At São Rafael community, the contradictions confirm the hypothesis of ambush ordered by the drug trafficking is the strongest until now, although the police rule out this possibility.

Por Cícero Pedrosa Neto e Amazônia Real

Specially sent to Atalaia do Norte (Amazonas State) – “He pulled over the boat over there at the school’s harbor and asked if there was coffee. ‘We don’t have coffee, but chocolate milk’, I sad. And then he said: ‘this one is really good'”, tells Alzenira Gomes, 54, wife of Manoel Vitor Sabino da Costa, also known as “Churrasco”. With such a words Alzenira, around 7 o’clock on Sunday June 5, invited the licensed servant of National Indian Foundation (Fundação Nacional do Índio – Funai) and União dos Povos Indígenas do Vale do Javari (Univaja)’s adviser Bruno Araújo, 41, Pereira, and the British journalist Dom Phillips, 57, to land on the riverside community of São Rafael. The location is on the banks of Itacoaí river, in Atalaia do Norte municipality, on the Brazilian border with Peru, off the limits of Javari Valley Indigenous Territory. Minutes after this conversation, the two men disappeared. For one week the world has been searching for clues on the whereabouts of the pair.

“As my husband was absent, he asked me for a piece of paper to write his telephone number in it. After that he left and went after that one”, tells Alzenira, pointing to Jânio Freitas de Souza, 45, the last known person whom Bruno spoke to before his disappearance. Jânio and “Churrasco” were arrested by police as suspects in the disappearance of Bruno on Monday (6) night, but they were set free on the following day after the opening of an inquiry.

Leader of São Rafael community, Manoel Vitor Sabino da Costa, also known as “Churrasco”, is uncle of Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira, 41, also known as “Pelado”, person who is the key element of the inquiries on Bruno and Dom disappearing and who is temporarily arrested at a jail in Tabatinga, neighboring city to Atalaia do Norte, in Alto Solimões area, at Amazonas state. “Pelado” was pointed by a witness heard by Amazônia Real as the person who threatened Bruno, Dom and other nine indigenous of Univaja’s vigilance on June 4, after being spotted trying to invade the indigenous territory. Two unidentified men who were together with “Pelado” also pointed the shotguns. Dom would have filmed the action. Bruno would take the complaint to Federal Police on June 6. Until now, those two men were not cited by Federal Police whether they are among the six people heard by the inquiry, which is released in official statements to the press.

On Sunday night (12), in another official statement, the Federal Police informed that Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips’ belongings were found close to Amarildo’s house, in São Gabriel community. In this very area, they found another vessel which “apparently” belongs to “Pelado”. Before, during the afternoon, the Fire Brigade had informed that a backpack had been found and a notebook and a pair of sandals were inside it, but with no confirmation of whom they would belong to.

According to Univaja, the last information on the sightseeing of the indigenous expert and the journalist is related to them visiting São Gabriel and Cachoeira communities, which are down the river 40 minutes from Atalaia do Norte by motorboat. According to a witness heard by Amazônia Real, on Sunday (5), Bruno and Dom left the staff base in Jaburu Lake, far from the São Rafael community about 15 minutes by Itacoaí river. Bruno drove the speedboat with a 40 HP motor and dismissed the indigenous.

On Wednesday (9), as he saw the boat with the reportage staff arriving at the São Rafael community’s warehouse, Jânio already awaited inside a maloca (indigenous house). He knew what it was about and seemed open to talk about the last time he saw the indigenous expert and the journalist. He said that Bruno arrived happy and telling jokes. “He spent about eight minutes at Churrasco’s house. He passed by and didn’t see me. I even joked with him, telling he didn’t see me because I am small”, tells Jânio, also saying that the indigenous expert and the journalist had been in the community at around 7h20 on Sunday.

Jânio, who identified himself as the president of Association of Rural Producers of São Rafael Community, says he was presented to the British journalist that day. “Bruno told me the reporter was writing a book and then wanted to know if the management was showing results in here”. Dom Phillips, a The Guardian recurrent collaborator who was doing researches for a book which aimed to save the biggest tropical forest of the world, asked about pirarucu management, Amazon’s giant fish. Jânio remembers talking openly about the theme: “We kill illegal fish, I won’t lie to you, we fish over there. But there are people who go inside the indigenous territory and who take the blame are us, from the community. That was what I said to him”.

The Peruvian boss

Searchings for Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira. Land installations of EVU's base. (Photo: Cícero Pedrosa Neto/Amazônia Real)
EVU's mobile post, close to São Gabriel and São Rafael communities (Photo: Cícero Pedrosa Neto/Amazônia Real)
EVU's mobile post, close to São Gabriel and São Rafael communities (Photo: Cícero Pedrosa Neto/Amazônia Real)
Buscas por Dom Phillips e Bruno Pereira (Foto: Cícero Pedrosa Neto/Amazônia Real)
Searchings for Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira (Photo: Cícero Pedrosa Neto/Amazônia Real)
Port in Atalaia do Norte. Searchings for Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira (Photo: Cícero Pedrosa Neto/Amazônia Real)
Jânio Freitas de Souza, whom Bruno spoke with during some minutes at São Rafael community (Photo: Cícero Pedrosa Neto/Amazônia Real)
Alzenira, wife Manoel Vitor Sabino da Costa, also known as Churrasco (Photo: Cícero Pedrosa Neto/Amazônia Real)
Orlando Possuelo, indigenous expert and counselor (Photo: Cícero Pedrosa Neto/Amazônia Real)
Delcimar Kanamary. Searchings for Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira (Photo: Cícero Pedrosa Neto/Amazônia Real)
Higson Kanamary. Searchings for Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira (Photo: Cícero Pedrosa Neto/Amazônia Real)
João Kanamary. Searchings for Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira (Photo: Cícero Pedrosa Neto/Amazônia Real)
Funai's head office where Bruno was the boss (Photo: Cícero Pedrosa Neto/Amazônia Real)
Searchings for Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira (Photo: Cícero Pedrosa Neto/Amazônia Real)
Furo do Macacão, the only stream where Bruno navigated through for being the largest and the one where he could make a faster time on a 40hps motorboat (Photo: Cícero Pedrosa Neto/Amazônia Real)

Jânio’s “over there” is related to Javari Valley Indigenous Territory, the second biggest in the country (behind only Yanomami Indigenous Territory) with 8,5 million hectares, which has been a current target of drug traffickers, illegal fishermen and hunters, gold miners and loggers. The greed for this Amazon’s huge and still intact forest and where are living more than 6.317 indigenous from seven contacted people (Kanamari, Kulina, Marubo, Matís, Matsés and Tsohom-Dyapá, this one of recent contact, and a Korubo group) and at least 16 references to isolated and non-contacted groups, which form the background of this case with explanations still to come. Another group of Korubo indigenous people remains in voluntary isolation.

“Pelado is one of the most dangerous guys in the Ituí river area. He already shot on the base and we had gunfire with him. Pelado is a key piece in this puzzle, he cannot be released”, affirmed a news source who cited other names: Nei and “Colômbia”; who would also be involved in illegal fishing and drug trafficking.

“Colômbia” is the Peruvian Rubens Villar Coelho, who would get angry at the inspection actions coordinated by Bruno Pereira, according to O Globo newspaper.

In Brazil’s triple border, we know that “Colômbia” (Rubens Coelho) manages the dispatch of fish from Letícia do Bogotá, Colombian capital, from a ferry operating in Islândia, Peru. He would also be the suspect of ordering the murder of Maxciel”, says other source to Amazônia Real. But the Peruvian was not heard by police authorities. “Funai never had the access to the inquiry”, said a Maxciel’s friend.

On September 6, 2019, the indigenous expert Maxciel Pereira dos Santos was killed by gunshot in front of his family in Tabatinga. Some days earlier, he had received death threats from hunters due to his stand on defending Javari Valley Indigenous Territory.

Since the beginning of Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira’s disappearance, names as “Churrasco”, “Pelado”, “Caboclo”, Jânio and Nei have been circulated, all of them pointed as related somehow with the case. But “Colômbia” could be the missing piece in this puzzle. He has properties in Benjamin Constant municipality, also neighbor to Atalaia de Norte, and controls the drug stream on Itacoaí river, one of the Javari Valley Indigenous Territory’s channels most invaded by illegal hunters and fishermen. “Colômbia” is a Peruvian drug dealer who uses illegal fishing and hunting to feed back the drug trafficking and illegal practices which affect both indigenous and management projects done in the area.

“Colômbia” would be the “boss”, pointed by more than one source heard during the last days by the reportage, who would be unsatisfied with the indigenous expert’s stand on Javari Valley. It is him who affords the commerce of tracajás (one of the tortoises of freshwater most consumed in the area, though being illegal), for example, paying 70 reais (approximately 14 US Dollars) per unit – the fishermen goes down the river carrying about 800 tracajás per fishing.

Conflicts intensified

Image of the searchings for Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira on land installations of EVU’s base. (Photo: Cícero Pedrosa Neto/Amazônia Real)

To protect itself against invasions, and without support of the National Indian Foundation (Fundação Nacional do Índio – Funai), Univaja decided to act by its own. It formed a Vigilance Staff named EVU (acronym in Portuguese for Univaja’s Vigilance Staff), equipping the indigenous with hunting weapons, all of them with lower calibers, and monitoring equipment. Bruno Pereira, a Funai’s licensed servant, was invited to work together with EVU, helping them to spot with drones the crimes that occurred inside Javari Valley Indigenous Territory. The indigenous are from the Marubo, Matís and Kanamary peoples.

In the same area Funai has a base in Ituí and Itacoaí rivers, where the National Force of Security joins the actions of servants to fight against invasions in Javari Valley Indigenous Territory. The staff has the support in Jutaí river of a wood house to quarantine before entering the territory. Funai’s base is by motorboat 2 hours far from Atalaia do Norte’s municipality seat and it is part of actions related to monitoring and protection of isolated indigenous as well as recently contacted ones. Since 2018, the place, which has the official name of Ethno-environmental Protection Base (Base de Proteção Etnoambiental – Bape) of Ituí-Itacoaí river, has been under invaders attacks, many of them by gunshots.

The clash between EVU’s vigilance staff and the territory invaders intensified in 2021, during Covid-19 pandemic. Off the indigenous territories, the surrounding communities are of fishermen and hunters with a history of invasions and alleged involvement with drug trafficking. Those families already lived inside the limits of the indigenous territory and they were withdrawn from there due to its homologation, in 2001, after 20 years of conflicts, which included deaths of white people by isolated Korubo indigenous.

On Saturday, the fisherman Jânio told Amazônia Real that Bruno had mentioned, on the Sunday of his disappearance, that he would have lifted the drone and its images showed pirarucu and tracajás illegal fishermen in Itacoaí river. According to what Bruno told Jânio, he would present the material to authorities in Tabatinga, the neighboring municipality, where the Federal Police’s head office is, and to other federal agencies, such as the Federal Public Ministry.

“He said he wanted to help us and he was in a hurry because he had a meeting in Tabatinga with the Federal Police, and he would call me at somewhat one p.m.. I waited for nothing. As there was no lunch here in my home, I went to the river fishing”, remembers Jânio. According to him, that was the biggest contact he had with the indigenous expert until nowadays. “That was the first time, before I had seen him only in some reunions over there”.

When asked about a possible involvement of Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira, also known as “Pelado”, in the ambush against Bruno and Dom, the fisherman Jânio dissembles. He says he is not related to the accused who had his temporary prison decreed on the night of June 9. But, in the end, he didn’t hesitate to defend him: “I don’t believe he had done this with him [Bruno], because the guy to do such a thing with an unknown dude as him must have the guts”.

Jânio, who was following the news on his cellphone, advised the reporter to not go to São Gabriel, the neighboring community, because it is “dangerous”. It is there where “Pelado” lives and was arrested by the police for using a fire gun of use restricted to the Military on June 7.

During the custody hearing, on June 9, the Federal Police revealed that the technical expertise found blood on Pelado’s boat and on a blue canvas. The fisherman denies his involvement with Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips’ disappearance. He says he was tortured by Amazonas state police, as Agência Pública published.

On Friday (10), the Federal Police informed the staffs found in Itacoaí river, close to Atalaia do Norte port, organic material apparently human. The genetic material was sent to the expert analysis at Federal Police’s National Institute of Criminalistics.

In the press conference at the Federal Police’s head office, in Manaus, the superintendent Eduardo Alexandre considered the hypothesis of Bruno Pereira e Dom Phillips’ disappearance being related to drug trafficking. “The investigations have researched the involvement of drug trafficking gangs in the area. We are trying to know if there was any crime related to this disappearance”, he says.

On his detention, Jânio would rather not say anything and he said he was “trying to help Bruno, but it’s hard, uh?”. He didn’t want to indicate neither how hard he was working to collaborate with the search and the case solution nor the difficulty he had referred to. He also didn’t want to say anything related to his testimony to the police.

In the end of the interview to Amazônia Real, in a private place, Jânio emphasized a possible rivalry when he said that Bruno Pereira had energetic practices against illegal fishermen. “If he saw someone illegally fishing, he would put fire on everything, with no conversation. Boat, gillnet, whatever. He had his points. But this people who fish are poor as well”, justified Jânio Freitas de Souza.

Churrasco’s contradiction

Manoel Vitor Sabino da Costa, also known as Churrasco, with the note left (Photo: Cícero Pedrosa Neto/Amazônia Real)

Manoel Vitor Sabino da Costa, 58, also known as “Churrasco”, the person who Bruno looked for in São Rafael Community – and with whom he had arranged a previous meeting – received Amazônia Real in front of his daughter’s house, who lives in a neighboring area to the school where Bruno and Dom landed on Sunday. On a intempestive way, saying he has nothing to hide and speaking loud and with no pauses, “Churrasco” affirmed he did not know that the well-known Univaja consultant would visit him that day, and that he also did not know that Bruno wanted to talk with him so much. But he said his brother, Raimundinho, was the one who sheltered Brune when he used to “go to the Jaburu sides”, referring precisely to the lake from where the pair left on the day of the possible ambush. “Raimundinho always told me to talk with him, that he could help our community”, said “Churrasco”, affirming to meet Bruno only “by sight”.

On the passage of Bruno and Dom through the São Rafael community, “Churrasco” affirmed: “I was not at home, I had left at six in the morning to fish, then they said he arrived here looking for me to arrange a meeting with me. Only my wife was at home and he (Bruno) said to her: ‘Jeez, I wanted to talk so much with ‘Churrasco’. Then he left his number with her written on a piece of paper, even the federal police had seen this paper”, said Manoel, indicating that the Federal Police already had examined the paper – a fact which occurred on June 6.

“Due to this long time of disappearance, he might be dead or tied-up somewhere inside the forest, these are the only possibilities”, affirmed “Churrasco” to Amazônia Real when he was asked about what could have happened with the missing pair.

During the interview, which lasted eight minutes – the same time of the passage of Bruno and Dom at Churrasco’s house in the company of his wife, Alzenira -, the fisherman Manoel emphasized that he could testimony only about what he saw, and that “after they went to over there [heading São Gabriel Community, where “Pelado”, the accused, was arrested], don’t ask me anything because I don’t know”.

This version from Manoel da Costa contradicts the statement given by the lawyer and indigenous Eliésio Marubo, Univaja’s legal adviser. The lawyer, requested by Amazônia Real, reassured that Bruno Pereira went to São Rafael because he had a pre-arranged meeting at the community. “Churrasco did know about the meeting. He told me that when I went to the community on Sunday [June 5]”, said Eliésio Marubo.

“I’m not against anybody, never have been. I, this old, crippled man, and it is not because I am neither stealing someone nor selling drugs, this is because of an accident I suffered… This old man brags himself saying he didn’t harm anybody. Yes, I was already arrested, but it was because I was in some confusion, but not doing anything bad to others”, Manoel explained himself. At the Court of Law, there are three criminal cases against Churrasco related to small issues such as indemnities and gains and losses.

“Churrasco”, as well as Jânio, is part of the inquiry opened by Civil and Federal Policies, which are investigating the involved ones in Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira’s disappearance. At any moment of the reportage, Manoel informed he is Amarildo’s uncle, the main suspect of the pair’s disappearance, according to Amazônia Real’s investigation. When he was asked about the accused, he preferred to say any opinion.

Indigenous support

EVU’s base land installations (Photo: Cícero Pedrosa Neto/Amazônia Real)

A world filled with its particularities, systems and creeds, surrounded by fresh water, preserved forest and plenty of fishes. Immersed in conflicts, many illegal economic interests, and a vast history of violations to originary people and to the environment. This is how can be defined the indigenous sanctuary where Dom Philips and Bruno Pereira disappeared on the last June 5, on the triple Amazonian border of Brazil with Peru and Colombia.

Since the pair had vanished, dozens of indigenous of five peoples who inhabit the area, Matis, Marubo, Kanamary, Korubo and Kulina, supported by police forces, take turns on the search for the “friend” indigenous expert and the “nice guy” journalist – how they defined the pair to the reportage.

“Guys, we have to help find our brother. We must remember his never-ending support. And there is still the journalist we have met those days. The families of them deserve our help. We will help with full force”, cried out the leadership Higson Kanamary to his fellow indigenous, seated in Akavaja (Javari Valley Kanamary Association – Associação dos Kanamary do Vale do Javari)’s office, at Univaja, when Amazônia Real found him on June 9 afternoon, the fourth day of searchings for Dom and Bruno.

Higson was one of the last persons to see the pair before they headed to Atalaia do Norte bringing with them images of environmental crimes that would be sent to Federal Police’s head office, in Tabatinga municipality. “Bruno told that they would go down the river alone. We know it’s dangerous, but he talk with us, indigenous, at at the base, made the decision and we agreed”, told the Kanamary leader without hiding his sadness and despair, expressed in unrestrained tears and on nervous hands that together slipped over his head until his forehead.

Bruno and Dom left alone on June 4 from Atalaia do Norte port heading to EVU’s mobile post, which at that time was in the outskirts of Jaburu lake, close to Javari Valley Indigenous Territory, where there is the world’s biggest number of isolated indigenous. Therefore, on the way there was no need to have Funai’s permit, once it is no indigenous area.

The indigenous expert Bruno Pereira, who deeply knew the hugeness of Itacoaí river (one of Javari river’s tributaries) and his dozens of streams, drove the vessel “Univaja’s big boy” (possante da Univaja), as narrates Higson, equipped with a 40 HP motor, until reaching on sunset to the post where the indigenous guardians were parked – a estimated-two hour route, considering the potency of the boat they were in.

Bruno was on an inspection mission done together with the indigenous and other Univaja members, as Orlando Possuelo, the expert Sydney Possuelo’s son, founder of then Isolated Indigenous Department and in charge for the first contact with Korubo indigenous, in 1996.

He was interviewed by Amazônia Real in the place where the EVU’s mobile post currently is located, Orlando Possuelo was visibly shaken and was working on the lifting of barracks built together with Matis, Marubo and Kanamary indigenous, who were there at vigilance for some days. According to him, the indigenous would rather stay on ground than on vessels’ structures that work as base to the indigenous staff who work on the monitoring and inspection of Javari Valley Indigenous Territory.

“I was waiting for Bruno’s arrival at 8 in the morning. He would take me to head together to Tabatinga. He sent me a message at 6 in the morning through the SPOT that was into the indigenous possession – he was with them there, close to the entrance of the indigenous territory. Eight in the morning I went to the port to wait for him, and as he didn’t arrive we prepared a boat and started the searchings”, remember Possuelo.

Possuelo’s story indicates that from the hour Bruno and Dom arrived at São Rafael community until the beginning of the searchings by EVU staff didn’t trespass two hours and a half. It means that it was in between such a time interval that the journalist and indigenous expert vanished, leaving no traces.

“On Saturday (4) night, we chatted in a group and was practically defined to accompany him two or three indigenous. On Sunday (5) dawn, about four in the morning, he said that he would go down the river only with Dom. They would go down early because of a strategy of leaving at six in the morning and not having so many dangers, to arrive in Atalaia at 8 in the morning and then go straight to Federal Police”, remembers Higson Kanamary. “Before coming here he already had a conversation with Federal Police’s delegate. He had all the proof of the intimidation of fishermen against the indigenous.”

Dom joined Bruno’s mission because he was writing a book on socio-environmental dynamics in the Amazon and the conflicts on traditional and originary communities. He already had been in Pará state in 2021, where visited Barcarena, on state’s northeast part, and had been with quilombola (Afro-Brazilian enslaved people who escaped from plantations and their descendents) and riverside communities affected by trans-national industries of mineral transformation which works in the town. Besides Barcarena, Dom had been recently in Acre state. He was working hard to make a collection of reportages divided in chapters that would tell a little of the emergency situation in which the Amazonian people have lived.

“There was not only a literary, journalistic interest when Dom looked for me in Belém, in the beginning of August last year. In the few times we talked, it was possible to see his anguish and, even behind his British phlegm, and his genuine concern with the environment”, narrated to the reporter the social-environmental lawyer Ismael Moraes.

In the midst of the turmoil caused by Covid-19, which obliged him to delay the writing of his work, Moraes explains that Dom had interest in multiple forms of violence caused by mining in Pará state and would like to go to Barcarena, city of Pará’s northeast that suffers with contamination by heavy metals cause by trans-national industries of mineral transformation, as the Norwegian Norsk Hydro. “It’s frightening to realize we have any news about him”, mourned the lawyer from Pará.

João and Alex Kanamary, young warriors aged 18, told the reporter that worked relentlessly since the Sunday Bruno and Dom disappeared and that they had moments of fellowship and learning with the pair on the previous days. They live in a village, speak not so much Portuguese and coming back to EVU base to rest, the young indigenous told the distressing moments they lived since the ambush announcement.

“They were here with us one hour ago, then they disappeared and we can’t find them. We searched through the whole river banks and nothing. It’s very sad to us”, said João Kanamary.

Seized boat

Boat filled with pirarucu which was seized by EVU and picked up by police. Supposedly it is Amarildo’s, also known as “Pelado” (Photo: Cícero Pedrosa Neto/Amazônia Real)

Even after the tragic announcement that covered the Javari Valley, the illegal activities didn’t cease. The EVU staff, during Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira’s searchings, found out a vessel filled up with pirarucus, distributed inside polystyrene boxes filled with ice. In some boxes, a superficial layer of allowed fishes disguised the illegal cargo. Declimar Kanamary, president of Javari Valley Kanamary Association (Associação dos Kanamary do Vale do Javari – Akavaja), told the reporter that the boat in question belongs to the accused for the ambush of the missing pair, Amarildo da Costa, o “Pelado”, and that had been seized on June 9 in late afternoon.

According to him, the boat was hidden behind foliages when it was spotted. “They [illegal fishermen] left these boats in strategic places and go out in other smaller boats to do the fishing. As they fish, they bring all to this support boat to cut the blankets and keep the ice. In other times they salt the fish, that’s why there’s salt inside the boat as well”, explains the Kanamary indigenous leader, pointing to the sack of refined salt that rested at the corner of the vessel seized by EVU and towed by a Navy garrison to be examined later.

The reportage, until this moment, could not confirm with Federal and Civil Polices the vessel’s origin, where it was taken to and what was the destiny of the illegal cargo which was inside it.On the fishermen’s tactics to disguise the illegal cargo, Delcimar explains that “they put other fishes on the top to disguise the crime. They put pacu, branquinha, tucunaré, piau, curimatã, all on the top to disguise the pirarucu blankets which are above”. (Kátia Brasil and Eduardo Nunomura collaborated)