Who is number 2 at the Ministry of Social Security, arrested in an operation on INSS fraud

The Federal Police launched this Thursday (18) a new phase of the Sem Desconto operation to investigate a fraud scheme involving discounts applied to INSS retirees and pensioners.

The action resulted in the arrest of the executive secretary of the Ministry of Social Security, Adroaldo Portal, in addition to the execution of dozens of search and seizure warrants and preventive arrests in different states of the country.

Until this Thursday morning (18), Adroaldo Portal occupied one of the most strategic positions in the federal government. Executive secretary of the Ministry of Social Security, he was Minister Wolney Queiroz’s main assistant and directly responsible for the department’s administrative machinery.

The trajectory was interrupted with his arrest in the new phase of the Federal Police’s Operation Without Discount, which investigates a billion-dollar scheme of fraud in discounts applied to INSS retirees and pensioners.

Portal, 55 years old, is a journalist and has built a career away from the spotlight, but very close to the center of power in Brasília. For more than two decades he has worked behind the scenes in the National Congress, with continuous stints in positions of trust linked mainly to the PDT.

His experience focused on political articulation, parliamentary advice and the management of sensitive administrative structures.

His connection with the labor party dates back to the end of the 1990s. From 1999 onwards, he began to head the PDT leadership’s cabinet in the Chamber of Deputies, a role that gave him movement between benches and permanent access to the House’s internal negotiations.

Over the years, he also headed the offices of deputies and senators from the party, such as Pompeo de Mattos, André Figueiredo and senator Weverton Rocha, now deputy leader of the Lula government in the Senate and also the target of search and seizure warrants in this Thursday’s operation.

In the Executive, Portal held relevant positions in PT administrations. During the Dilma Rousseff government, he was chief of staff and deputy executive secretary of the Ministry of Communications. He also served on boards of state-owned companies, such as the Correios administration board and the Telebras supervisory board, positions normally reserved for staff with strong political confidence.

Already in the current government, Portal joined the Ministry of Social Security during the administration of Carlos Lupi. Between February 2023 and May 2025, he commanded the Secretariat of the General Social Security Regime, the area responsible for central INSS policies, such as pensions and benefits.

In May of this year, he was promoted to the position of executive secretary, becoming number two in the department, a position he maintained even after the change of command and the arrival of Wolney Queiroz to the ministry.

Federal Police investigations indicate that Portal had maintained contact with Antônio Carlos Camilo Antunes, known as “Careca do INSS”, considered one of the central operators of the fraud scheme. The lobbyist was received at the executive secretary’s office, information now being analyzed by investigators.

With the arrest ordered, Portal was removed and dismissed from his position on the same day. The Ministry of Social Security reported that the decision was taken as soon as the minister became aware of the accusations. To replace him, federal attorney Felipe Cavalcante e Silva, until then the department’s legal consultant, was appointed.

The Sem Desconto operation investigates irregularities committed between 2019 and 2024, with losses estimated at up to R$6.3 billion. The scheme involves public servants, businesspeople, lobbyists and associative entities suspected of making undue discounts directly on the benefits paid by the INSS.