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On December 19, 2025, Deputy Sóstenes Cavalcante Becomes Central Target of Operation Galho Fraco After Federal Police Seizes 430 Thousand Reais in Cash in Flat, Claiming Sale of Property in Minas and Exposing Enormous Wear for PL in Congress, in the Allied Base and in National Public Opinion
On Friday, December 19, 2025, Deputy Sóstenes Cavalcante, leader of PL in the Chamber, became the pivot of a national crisis after the Federal Police seized about 430 thousand reais in cash from a rented flat in Brasília during Operation Galho Fraco. The investigation aims at suspicions of misappropriation of public funds linked to parliamentary quotas and scrutinized the origin of the amount, the oversight of office expenses, and the functioning of legislative control mechanisms.
On the same day, in a public statement, Deputy Sóstenes Cavalcante claimed that the seized money was the result of the sale of a property in Minas Gerais, received recently in cash, sealed and identified, and not yet deposited due to his routine of travels and work. He maintains that it is lawful money, declared in the Income Tax, but avoids disclosing the buyer’s name and the city where the property is located, raising questions about the use of cash in high-value transactions and the consistency of the version presented.
Federal Police Seizes 430 Thousand Reais in Cash in Flat Used by the Deputy
According to the investigation, the Federal Police found about 430 thousand reais in cash in a flat located in downtown Brasília, rented and used by Deputy Sóstenes Cavalcante.
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The seizure occurred during the execution of a search and seizure warrant authorized by the Federal Supreme Court, as part of Operation Galho Fraco, which investigates alleged irregularities in the use of parliamentary quotas.
The funds were physically organized and stored within the property.
For the investigators, the mere fact that a public agent keeps such a large amount of cash in a flat is enough to trigger alert mechanisms, as real estate operations and high-value transactions tend to be formalized through traceable electronic means, such as bank transfers and cashier’s checks.
How Deputy Sóstenes Cavalcante Tries to Justify the Origin of the Money
When questioned about the origin of the 430 thousand reais, Deputy Sóstenes Cavalcante claims that the amount corresponds to the payment for the sale of a property in Minas Gerais, acquired after the 2022 elections and declared to the Federal Revenue.
According to his version, the buyer reportedly paid in cash entirely, the money was received recently in sealed and identified packages that had not yet been taken to the bank.
He insists that the amount is fully lawful and linked to a formal transaction, with documentation capable of proving the real estate transaction and its compatibility with the declared assets.
In a public statement, the parliamentarian argues that “corruption money does not appear sealed, identified, and officially collected in your residence” and that those who want to hide illicit resources would not keep them in a place associated with their own name.
Still, his refusal to disclose the buyer and the exact location of the property in Minas sustains the distrust of control bodies and public opinion.
What Is Operation Galho Fraco and Who Is in the Spotlight of the Federal Police
Operation Galho Fraco was launched by the Federal Police to investigate possible deviations in parliamentary quotas, public funds intended to cover the activities of mandates, such as office rentals, travel, consultancies, and support services.
The investigation points to suspicious expenses and contracts that may have been used to divert resources or inflate office costs.
In this phase of the operation, the Federal Police executed seven search and seizure warrants in the Federal District and in Rio de Janeiro, all authorized by the Supreme Federal Court.
In addition to Deputy Sóstenes Cavalcante, federal deputy Carlos Jordy, also from PL, was targeted in the actions, with the seizure of cell phones, documents, and cash.
The crimes being investigated include, among others, embezzlement, money laundering, and organized crime, still in the evidence-gathering stage, with no formal indictment presented so far.
Why Cash in a Hotel Triggers Alerts in Control Bodies
The presence of 430 thousand reais in cash in a flat used by Deputy Sóstenes Cavalcante automatically raises alerts in oversight bodies.
High-value transactions typically go through the financial system, which records transactions, reports atypical operations to Coaf, and allows tracking the origin and destination of funds.
When a parliamentarian is caught with a significant amount of cash outside the banking environment, the compatibility between declared income, assets, schedule of the alleged sale, and transfer documents becomes closely examined.
In the case of the deputy, the cross-analysis of contracts, real estate records, income tax data, and any communication to Coaf will be decisive in confirming whether the version of “lawful money” holds or if there are signs of irregularities in the formation and handling of this amount.
Political Impacts for PL and for the Leader of the Caucus
The episode occurs at a time of high exposure for PL and its main leaders in Congress.
As the party leader in the Chamber, Deputy Sóstenes Cavalcante carries increased political responsibility, and the image of the party directly associates with the seizure of cash and Operation Galho Fraco.
Within the party, the case pressures the top leadership to define a line of reaction: public defense of the parliamentarian until the end of the inquiry, temporary removal from strategic roles, or maintenance of institutional silence.
At the same time, opponents exploit the episode to question the discourse against corruption and demand more detailed explanations about the origin of the seized resources.
The national wear for PL is likely to increase as long as the case remains in the spotlight and new details emerge.
Next Steps of the Investigation and Open Legal Scenario
From a legal standpoint, the future of Deputy Sóstenes Cavalcante depends on the results of the analysis of documents, financial movements, and any links between parliamentary quotas and suspect contracts.
With jurisdiction at the Supreme Federal Court, the parliamentarian can only be subject to more severe measures, such as formal charges or criminal action, if the Public Prosecutor’s Office deems that the evidence gathered in Operation Galho Fraco is sufficient to sustain accusations.
So far, the operation is in the investigative phase, with no charges offered.
The consistency of the narrative regarding the sale of the property in Minas, the documentary proof of the transaction, and the coherence between declared assets and seized cash will be central points in the assessment by the Federal Police and the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which may recommend anything from filing for dismissal to deepening the investigations with new breaches of confidentiality.
Meanwhile, the case continues to fuel political wear and public doubts about the limits between private resources, office funds, and the use of cash in the routine of a party leader in Congress.
Faced with a caucus leader with 430 thousand reais in cash seized in a flat and under investigation in Operation Galho Fraco, do you find Deputy Sóstenes Cavalcante’s explanation about the sale of the property in Minas convincing, or do you see the cash as a serious signal that requires much more detailed answers?
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