Federal Police Raid Bolsonaro Ally Mário Frias in Probe Over ‘Dark Horse’ Film Financing

Brazil’s Federal Police (PF) on Thursday launched a major operation targeting Federal Deputy Mário Frias (Liberal Party, São Paulo) and a film about former President Jair Bolsonaro, further escalating the judicial conflict around the former administration. The operation, named "Make Up," saw police serve 49 search and seizure warrants across four states—the Federal District, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Ceará—targeting Frias, a close Bolsonaro ally and former Special Secretary of Culture, and the production team behind the biographical film Dark Horse. The investigation focuses on the suspected diversion of public funds, specifically parliamentary amendments, that were allegedly funneled to finance the film's production.

The warrants were authorized by Supreme Federal Court (STF) Justice Flávio Dino, as Deputy Frias, a sitting federal legislator, holds privileged jurisdiction (known in Brazil as foro privilegiado) before the high court. Mário Frias is not only a member of Congress and the former head of the country's culture secretariat, but is also listed as an executive producer of the film. The Federal Police, working in partnership with the Comptroller-General of the Union (CGU), alleges the existence of a "criminal organization formed by public and private agents" that diverted resources intended for a civil society organization to irregularly sub-contracted companies without evidence that services were actually provided.

The investigation implicates the film's producer, Karina Gama, and her production company, alongside Frias. Frias had allegedly directed federal funds—known in Brazil as emendas parlamentares—to an entity linked to the producer. The PF is investigating a suite of financial crimes, including peculation (a form of public corruption), documentary falsity, money laundering, and the formation of a criminal organization, following financial reviews that uncovered the movement of hundreds of millions of reais between the companies involved in the alleged scheme.

This probe comes amid intense scrutiny over the film’s finances, which have been linked to other reports of large, private-sector financing and alleged back-channel dealings involving the Bolsonaro family, including the former President's son, Flávio Bolsonaro. The items seized during the raids, including Frias's cell phone, will now be analyzed by the Federal Police. The analysis of this new evidence will determine the next steps in the case, including whether the Prosecutor-General’s Office (PGR) will formally file charges against the federal deputy and the other targets of Operation Make Up, an outcome that will further strain political and judicial tensions in Brasília.