Drug tycoon Jose Diaz Barajas, wanted for allegedly trafficking methamphetamine in the United States, was arrested in Rio de Janeiro on his way to a World Cup game. Luiz Cravo Dorea, head of the federal police’s international coordination center, said the police knew his whereabouts and watched him since him and his family crossed the border from Paraguay.
“He was low-profile and used real documents to enter the country because he thought that nobody was looking for him,” he said. “But we knew he had bought tickets to watch the game.”
“After some days it was clear that he was here to watch the World Cup with his family,” Dorea continued. “We could have arrested him at the stadium, but it was cheaper to do it in Rio.”
The police arrested him on an Interpol arrest warrant and will remain in Brazil “until a judge decides on a U.S. extradition request.” Brazil did not arrest him right away because officials wanted to see if Diaz Barajas would make any drug transactions.
Diaz Barajas is in Brazil with his wife and two children. He was at the airport to fly to Fortaleza to see Mexico play against Brazil on Tuesday.
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