Action arrests three more suspects for robbery at the Mário de Andrade Library

The Civil Police of São Paulo launched Operation "Marchand" this Friday (22), which targets a group suspected of participating in the theft of works of art from the Mário de Andrade Library, in the center of the capital of São Paulo, in December 2025.

According to the police, the operation has served three temporary arrest warrants and 11 search and seizure warrants at addresses linked to those investigated in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Among the targets of this Friday's searches are people and establishments linked to the auction segment and sale of artistic works. Three warrants were specifically targeted at locations related to art auctions in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

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The action is led by the Cerco team (Specialized Center for the Repression of Crimes and Miscellaneous Occurrences) of the Center, from the 1st Section of Decap (Judiciary Police department of the Capital), under the command of delegate Ronald Quene.

According to the investigation, the group would be responsible not only for stealing the works, but also for concealing, intermediating and attempting to insert the pieces into the clandestine art market.

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The police also point out that the main person being investigated, identified as the intellectual mastermind of the crime, is Laessio Rodrigues de Oliveira, considered the biggest art thief in Brazil. Regiane Rodrigues da Silva and Carlos Leandro Ferreira da Silva are also targets of the investigation.

During the operation, the police seized paintings without proof of origin and cell phones, which will now be examined to help advance the investigations.

The investigations indicate that there was an organized structure for the theft and illegal commercialization of cultural heritage, with division of functions between those involved.

Remember the robbery at the Mário de Andrade Library
Thirteen works of art and historical documents were stolen from the Mário de Andrade Library, in the center of São Paulo, on the morning of December 7th.

According to information from the Military Police, two armed men invaded the library and captured a security guard and an elderly couple who were visiting the place. The criminals fled towards the Anhangabaú subway.

Of the works removed, there were eight engravings from the "Jazz" series, by Henri Matisse, and five engravings by Candido Portinari, from the work "Menino de Engenho", belonging to the exhibition "From the book to the museum: MAM São Paulo and the Mário de Andrade Library", held in partnership with the MAM (Museu of Modern Art of São Paulo).

Works by Portinari and Matisse are stolen from the Mario de Andrade Library | NOW CNN

The eight paintings and documents were placed in a bag and the pair fled afterwards.

In April this year, the TJSP (São Paulo Court of Justice) ordered the release of one of the five defendants for the robbery. Investigations continue to locate all stolen works and identify other possible members of the criminal group.

See images of the action
Security camera images obtained by CNN Brasil show two men carrying some of the works stolen from the Mário de Andrade Library down the street. In one of the recordings, it is possible to see the duo taking objects out of a car on Rua João Adolfo, in broad daylight.

After removing the works from the vehicle, the suspects go down the street and one of them leaves some paintings leaning against a wall and runs away. The other, carrying some leaves, runs in another direction. See:

https://admin.cnnbrasil.com.br/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2026/05/WhatsApp-Video-2025-12-08-at-07.28.48_b63101.mp4

Source: CNN