Supreme Court Justice André Mendonça ordered the transfer of former banker Daniel Vorcaro to a military police facility on June 25, 2024 [1].

The decision highlights the security challenges within the Brazilian penal system, where high-profile detainees often face immediate physical threats in standard holding cells.

Vorcaro, the owner of Banco Master, was moved to the 19th Battalion of the Military Police in the Distrito Federal [1]. This specific facility is commonly known as “Papudinha” [1]. The transfer removes Vorcaro from the Federal Police Superintendency, where he had previously been held.

Justice Mendonça said that the current environment at the Federal Police Superintendency was no longer appropriate for the detainee. He also ruled against placing the former banker in a general population cell due to the risk of death [1].

"The maintenance of Vorcaro in the Superintendency of the Federal Police is no longer appropriate, nor is his imprisonment in a common cell of the prison system due to the risk of death," Mendonça said [1].

The order ensures that Vorcaro remains in a controlled environment while legal proceedings continue. The use of military facilities for high-risk prisoners is a known practice in the Distrito Federal to ensure the integrity of the defendant, and the safety of the broader prison population.

Federal authorities have continued to manage the case, including accessing mobile devices belonging to Vorcaro as part of the ongoing investigation [2].

“The transfer removes Vorcaro from the Federal Police Superintendency.”

The relocation of Daniel Vorcaro to a military police battalion reflects the Brazilian judiciary's struggle to balance legal detention with the physical safety of high-profile prisoners. By bypassing the common prison system, the court acknowledges that the standard state infrastructure cannot guarantee the life of a detainee perceived as a target, effectively creating a separate tier of detention for the financial and political elite.