Arrested at Guarulhos airport with drugs
Guarulhos is the airport where the Federal Police arrests most people for international drug trafficking in Brazil, many of them foreigners recruited as couriers. If your relative was arrested there, this is what happens next and what a lawyer in Brazil does.
Write to the lawyer on WhatsAppWhat to do now
- Confirm the arrest and where the person is held; the consulate of their country can also be told.
- Do not send money to anyone who promises release: only the court decides.
- Write to a lawyer in Brazil with the full name, date of birth, passport number and flight.
What the law says
- International drug trafficking is a federal crime, judged by the Federal Court (Constitution, art. 109, V; Law 11.343/2006, arts. 33 and 40, I).
- Within 24 hours the arrested person is brought before a judge at the custody hearing, now also possible by video (Code of Criminal Procedure, art. 310).
- A first offender who is not part of a criminal organisation may have the sentence reduced by one sixth to two thirds (art. 33, § 4º, the "privileged trafficking").
- A foreigner may be expelled after the sentence, with exceptions in the Migration Law (Law 13.445/2017, arts. 54 and 55).
The firm does not promise release, a deadline or an outcome: each case depends on the evidence and the court.
Questions
Where will the person be held?
After the custody hearing, usually in a provisional detention centre in the São Paulo region. Since June 2025 foreign prisoners in the state have been concentrated in Guarulhos. A lawyer confirms the unit and the visiting rules.
Will the consulate get a lawyer?
The consulate visits, informs the family and checks that the person has a defence, but it does not pay or appoint a private lawyer.
- OAB/MG 155.242, admitted in 2014
- Postgraduate studies in Criminal Procedure (Faculdade Legale)
- Guaxupé (MG), practice throughout Brazil
Write to us
Tell us briefly about your case. A lawyer from the firm replies by email, usually within one business day.
How to hire from abroad
- You describe the case in writing, by WhatsApp or e-mail, in English.
- The fee is agreed in a written contract before any work begins.
- The contract and the power of attorney are signed online, and payment can be made from abroad.
How to check a lawyer in Brazil
- Look up the OAB registration in the National Registry of Lawyers (cna.oab.org.br).
- Ask for the fee in writing, in a contract.
- Pay only into the account named in the contract, never to a third party.
OAB/MG 155.242, cna.oab.org.br · How to check a lawyer in Brazil · Google ★
When a person answers
The office answers in person Monday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm in Brasília, which is 08:00 - 18:00 (UTC-3) where you are.
WhatsApp receives messages at any time.
Page reviewed in October 2026.