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June 05, 2025 – Brazil –
Brazilian prosecutors have officially charged Rubén Darío Villar, a Colombian fish trader, for orchestrating the brutal 2022 murders of British journalist Dom Phillips and Brazilian Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira. The indictment marks a major milestone in a case that has drawn global attention to the dangers faced by environmental defenders and journalists in the Amazon.
On June 5, 2022, Phillips and Pereira disappeared while traveling by boat in the remote Javari Valley, one of Brazil’s most isolated regions plagued by illegal fishing, logging, and mining. Their mission was to document threats to Indigenous communities and expose rampant criminal activities. Days later, following confessions by local suspects, their remains were discovered buried in the rainforest.
Authorities initially arrested three local fishermen: Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira (who confessed to shooting both men), his brother Oseney da Costa, and Jefferson da Silva Lima. While the shooters were quickly identified, the investigation continued to search for the person who ordered the killings.
Now, three years later, prosecutors allege that Villar financed and planned the murders. Villar, who had already been detained since 2022 on unrelated charges of illegal fishing and document forgery, is accused of supplying funds and ammunition for the attack. The prosecution described the murders as “vile and perverse,” driven by Pereira’s efforts to stop illegal fishing operations that threatened Indigenous livelihoods and cut into Villar’s profits.
The indictment also underscores the organized criminal networks operating within the Amazon, where illegal resource extraction is often tied to violence and corruption. The murders exposed not only the vulnerability of journalists and Indigenous defenders but also the broader impunity that allows such crimes to flourish.
While Villar’s indictment is a significant step toward justice, the investigation remains ongoing, as advocates and family members continue to call for full accountability. They fear that other powerful individuals who may have financed or sanctioned the killings are still at large.
The case serves as a stark reminder of the mounting risks faced by those who dare to expose environmental crimes in one of the world’s most dangerous frontiers for press freedom and Indigenous rights.
Reference –
https://www.barrons.com/news/brazil-charges-man-with-killings-of-uk-journalist-activist-f68c7c78
