Hello folks! Get ready for a wild story straight out of a crime thriller! A businesswoman’s incessant social media posting helped Brazilian authorities capture her notorious drug lord husband after a two-year manhunt.
Ronald Roland, 50, was finally arrested last Tuesday at his luxurious condominium in Guarujá, thanks to a post from his wife, Andrezza de Lima. This revelation came from TV Globo’s news magazine show, Fantastico. Roland, de Lima, and their daughter were sound asleep when Federal Police raided their residence.
De Lima, the owner of a bikini shop, frequently flaunted their extravagant lifestyle on social media, sharing photos from their travels to Colombia, Dubai, France, and the Maldives. Her posts often featured Roland alongside private jets and famous tourist spots, inadvertently aiding the authorities in tracking him down.
Roland’s arrest was part of a larger operation that saw eight people apprehended across seven states. Authorities seized vast amounts of cash, jewelry, weapons, a boat, 34 cars, and an airplane. Federal Police investigators revealed that Roland had connections with Mexican drug cartels and allegedly laundered a staggering $900 million over the last five years.
One of the 100 businesses involved in laundering this money was his wife’s bikini shop. According to Federal Police agent Ricardo Ruiz, “Houses were purchased in the name of companies whose partners were people without the minimum economic capacity to acquire real estate, vehicles, aircraft.” Ruiz added, “We found partners of companies, for example, who work in a restaurant but are partners in several companies that moved tens of millions of reais.”
The investigation into Roland’s activities dates back to 2012 when he was working as an airline pilot. He was suspected of collaborating with drug traffickers to transport massive loads of drugs from Central and South America to Mexico.
🚨🇧🇷The Instagram photo below led Brazillion authorities to the drug lord Ronald Roland. Bringing a 2 year man hunt to a close🚨
Ronald was arrested last Tuesday at his condominium in city of Guarujá after his wife, Andrezza de Lima, had previously shared their locations on an… pic.twitter.com/MHsneDjRI5
— The News You Dont See (@Crazynews4real) July 8, 2024
In 2019, Roland raised eyebrows when he moved into a lavish condominium in Uberlandia, Minas Gerais. Neighbors noticed his flashy lifestyle, with Roland driving vehicles worth $91,500, $183,000, and $146,000 in consecutive weeks. “This caught the attention of the neighborhood. Who is this person who moved here?” Ruiz explained.
Roland’s previous arrest in July 2019 was also thanks to a social media slip-up by his former wife, who shared a photo on Instagram with the location of a São Paulo restaurant where they were dining. A mugshot from that arrest showed he had undergone plastic surgery, with visible marks on his face.
