Security screening intensified at Rio de Janeiro’s Galeão International Airport this holiday season, and on 25 December 2025 it paid off. Federal Police (PF) agents noticed inconsistencies in luggage X-rays and detained a male passenger who was preparing to board a night flight to Europe. Hospital scans revealed that he had swallowed roughly 80 latex capsules containing high-grade cocaine—an increasingly common smuggling method through Brazil’s busiest international hubs.
The arrest followed two similar interdictions at São Paulo/Guarulhos earlier in the week, where PF officers also executed a judicial order to confiscate a Brazilian passport linked to unpaid labour fines. The PF said it has redeployed additional narcotics-detection teams to Rio and São Paulo until 2 January, when the peak year-end travel window closes. Airlines have been asked to stagger check-in times to accommodate longer interview procedures at the gates.
![Federal Police seize drug-filled passports and arrest mule at Rio’s Galeão airport]()
To avoid any additional bureaucratic surprises while security lines grow longer, travellers can lean on VisaHQ’s Brazil portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/). The service keeps users updated on changing visa policies, assists with document preparation, and offers expedited processing options—helping ensure that passports, permits and health declarations are in perfect order before reaching the airport.
For corporate-mobility managers, the operation is a timely reminder that Brazilian airports can introduce ad-hoc screening protocols that lengthen departure times by up to 45 minutes. Travellers carrying prescription medication must ensure original packaging and a doctor’s letter are readily available, as PF officers often intensify checks on pill bottles when drug seizures make headlines.
The PF underlined that the clamp-down targets organised crime, not legitimate passengers, but urged the public to arrive at least three hours before international departures during the festive period. Companies with fly-in-fly-out staff should update their travel alerts and consider arranging lounge access for employees who could face extended airside waits.
The arrest followed two similar interdictions at São Paulo/Guarulhos earlier in the week, where PF officers also executed a judicial order to confiscate a Brazilian passport linked to unpaid labour fines. The PF said it has redeployed additional narcotics-detection teams to Rio and São Paulo until 2 January, when the peak year-end travel window closes. Airlines have been asked to stagger check-in times to accommodate longer interview procedures at the gates.
To avoid any additional bureaucratic surprises while security lines grow longer, travellers can lean on VisaHQ’s Brazil portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/). The service keeps users updated on changing visa policies, assists with document preparation, and offers expedited processing options—helping ensure that passports, permits and health declarations are in perfect order before reaching the airport.
For corporate-mobility managers, the operation is a timely reminder that Brazilian airports can introduce ad-hoc screening protocols that lengthen departure times by up to 45 minutes. Travellers carrying prescription medication must ensure original packaging and a doctor’s letter are readily available, as PF officers often intensify checks on pill bottles when drug seizures make headlines.
The PF underlined that the clamp-down targets organised crime, not legitimate passengers, but urged the public to arrive at least three hours before international departures during the festive period. Companies with fly-in-fly-out staff should update their travel alerts and consider arranging lounge access for employees who could face extended airside waits.
