Overview
- National deputy Marcela Pagano filed a federal complaint over the 2025 Embraer ERJ-140LR deal and asked a judge to freeze two US$1.1425 million payments, seize passports, and authorize searches at Air Force and Defense offices.
- Her filing says the tender launched in May 2025 moved unusually fast, used technical requirements that only a few models could meet, and set a budget near US$3.9 million that sat just below a higher approval threshold.
- She alleges overpricing, noting the Air Force paid US$4.085 million for a used jet that other market quotes placed near US$2.3 million.
- The complaint cites Air Force records listing 19 serious flaws in the aircraft, including oil leaks, corrosion, missing or cannibalized parts, and heavy wear in flight-control linkages.
- Air Force chief Gustavo Valverde denies irregularities and says the purchase followed bid rules, the prosecutor Eduardo Taiano has an initial probe open, and former defense minister Luis Petri says he reported the case in November 2025.