The Global Advisor: Spotlight on Latin America | March 2025
Celebrating 30 years in partnership
Brazil
Location of recorded incidents in January and February 2025
Source: Control Risks
Cryptocurrency dispute leads to kidnap in Santa Isabel (Sao Paulo state) Criminals on 26 February kidnapped a man from his vehicle in Santa Isabel (Sao Paulo state) to demand a large ransom payment after they did not receive an expected cryptocurrency transfer. Two of the criminals drove away in the victim’s vehicle while two others forced him into a second vehicle. After some time, the criminals released the victim. Police later arrested six suspects.
Control Risks comment
As cryptocurrency usage in Brazil continues to surge in 2025, incidents in which kidnap victims are targeted, either due to their publicised cryptocurrency holdings or due to disputes over crypto trading, are likely to increase. These incidents will likely increase at a faster rate than conventional kidnaps in Sao Paulo over the rest of the year.
Criminals dump victim in river after express kidnap in Rio Grande do Sul state Criminals late on the night of 21 February express kidnapped a businessman as he was leaving his place of work in Venancio Aires (Rio Grande do Sul state). The kidnappers held the victim captive for several hours during which they forced him to transfer a large ransom. The criminals then threw the victim into a river in Rio Pardinho (Rio Grande do Sul state). Police found the victim alive but in a serious condition on 22 February.
Control Risks comment
Kidnap incidents in Rio Grande do Sul state remain less common than other national hotspots such as Sao Paulo, Bahia, or Rio de Janeiro. Small criminal groups will nonetheless continue to target middle and high-income individuals, choosing express kidnapping due to their low capacity to hold victims for long periods of time.
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