May 26, 2026 · 27 min · 13 segments
Industrial agriculture has wrapped itself in a green cloak in Mato Grosso, promising jobs, money and endless opportunities, all in the name of "sustainability." But the good times are only happening…
Amy WesterveltHostWhat is 70,000? What is 70,000 to Marino, man? For us it's money, but for him...
This audio is from a hidden camera recording supposedly created by Lucas do Rio Verde businessman Hélio Moraga.
According to Hélio, he got the money from Franz and recorded a second video of himself thanking Marino Franz for it.
Hey, Marino.
How's work going? But Mr.
Marino, I won't take up too much of your time.
I just came to thank you because I received the 70,000 from that deal we made.
24 officials from Lucas' administration, including Marino Franz, have been charged with administrative misconduct.
The video is now available online, and the Mato Grosso Public Prosecutor's Office has stated that the case is still pending.
At the end of Marino Franz's second term as mayor of Lucas in 2012, he and Miguel Vaz Ribeiro, his business partner, were accused of issuing more than 800 false invoices in the names of small rural producers.
Mato Grosso's Department of Finance has not disclosed the results of that investigation.
Operation Promised Land was launched simultaneously in the states of Mato Grosso, Santa Catarina, Paraná, and Rio Grande do Sul.
The federal police are investigating crimes involving invasion of federal lands, document fraud, and environmental crimes.
52 arrest warrants were served.
He was accused of being part of a scheme that moved around $200 million through the illegal sale of plots of land in Mato Grosso.
He was granted a writ of habeas corpus, and eventually the federal court decided to close the investigation against him, citing a lack of evidence.But the Frans brothers and Miguel's problems continued after getting into business with Bruce too.
In 2017, Agrocerrado, Miguel Vaz's Amapá company, was fined a million dollars for deforestation.
In 2025, Vaz was fined again, this time almost $600,000 for planting cotton and corn within the Batelão indigenous land in Mato Grosso.
What is 70,000? What is 70,000 to Marino, man? For us it's money, but for him...
This audio is from a hidden camera recording supposedly created by Lucas do Rio Verde businessman Hélio Moraga.
According to Hélio, he got the money from Franz and recorded a second video of himself thanking Marino Franz for it.
Hey, Marino.
How's work going? But Mr.
Marino, I won't take up too much of your time.
I just came to thank you because I received the 70,000 from that deal we made.
24 officials from Lucas' administration, including Marino Franz, have been charged with administrative misconduct.
The video is now available online, and the Mato Grosso Public Prosecutor's Office has stated that the case is still pending.
At the end of Marino Franz's second term as mayor of Lucas in 2012, he and Miguel Vaz Ribeiro, his business partner, were accused of issuing more than 800 false invoices in the names of small rural producers.
Mato Grosso's Department of Finance has not disclosed the results of that investigation.
Operation Promised Land was launched simultaneously in the states of Mato Grosso, Santa Catarina, Paraná, and Rio Grande do Sul.
The federal police are investigating crimes involving invasion of federal lands, document fraud, and environmental crimes.
52 arrest warrants were served.
He was accused of being part of a scheme that moved around $200 million through the illegal sale of plots of land in Mato Grosso.
He was granted a writ of habeas corpus, and eventually the federal court decided to close the investigation against him, citing a lack of evidence.But the Frans brothers and Miguel's problems continued after getting into business with Bruce too.
In 2017, Agrocerrado, Miguel Vaz's Amapá company, was fined a million dollars for deforestation.
In 2025, Vaz was fined again, this time almost $600,000 for planting cotton and corn within the Batelão indigenous land in Mato Grosso.
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3 of 3
They Don’t Give a Shit
Consultant offers blunt take on company's motives
Corn Beats Forest? Really?
Paulo makes startling claim about corn's carbon
Permit Approved in Three Days
Professor slams loophole in carbon permit approval
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