Ibama fires former superintendent investigated for alleged diversion of birds in RS The Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) fired two employees investigated by the Federal Police on suspicion of participating in a scheme for the irregular transfer of wild birds to private breeders in Rio Grande do Sul. The penalty was published in the Official Gazette of the Union on June 2, 2026. Among those fired is Paulo Guilherme Carniel Wagner, who held the superintendency of Ibama in the state in 2022 and became one of the best-known names in the fight against animal trafficking in Rio Grande do Sul. Environmental analyst Emerson Strack Skrabe was also fired. 📲 Access the g1 RS channel on WhatsApp According to the Ibama Internal Affairs Department, the two had used their public positions to obtain their own advantage or benefit third parties, conduct that resulted in the application of the dismissal penalty. The facts analyzed in the administrative disciplinary process are the result of investigations by Operation Celeno, of the Federal Police. In December 2024, the PF indicted the two employees and four other people on suspicion of being part of a wild animal diversion scheme from Ibama's Wild Animal Sorting Center (Cetas), in Porto Alegre. According to the investigation, seized or rescued birds no longer followed their intended destination and were sent to private breeders. The servers would also have received values ​​and other benefits in exchange for the transfers. Among the animals involved in the investigation was a harpy — considered the largest bird of prey in the Americas — which was located and rescued after the operation. The administrative decision is final at the Ibama level, but may be reviewed if new facts arise. Those investigated can also go to court to contest the penalty. Ibama issued a statement stating that "consistent elements were identified that showed the practice of serious functional misconduct, subject to dismissal." (See full below) The report sought out lawyers for the two former employees. Eduardo Maluhy, who represents Paulo Wagner, said he will try to reconsider the decision. Michel França, Emerson Skrabe's lawyer, has not yet returned the contact. What Ibama says "The aforementioned administrative decision results from the conclusion of a disciplinary process initiated to investigate possible functional irregularities. Throughout the procedural instruction, consistent elements were identified that showed the practice of serious functional misconduct, subject to dismissal, under the terms of Law No. 8,112/1990. The entire procedure was carried out in strict compliance with due legal process, ensuring that the employees under investigation were fully able to exercise their right to contradictory and full defense. The administrative investigation also considered information from an investigation conducted by the Federal Police, whose conclusions highlighted relevant evidence of the seriousness of the conduct investigated, contributing to the clarification of the facts in the disciplinary context. Given the evidence gathered, Ibama adopted the appropriate measures provided for in current legislation, culminating in the application of the penalty of dismissal, as published in the Official Gazette of the Union. The Institute does not condone any deviations in functional conduct and acts rigorously in the investigation and accountability of irregularities, in alignment with the principles of legality, administrative morality and the protection of Brazilian environmental heritage." Among the animals involved in the investigation was a harpy, considered the largest bird of prey in the Americas, which was located and rescued after the operation Reproduction/RBS TV VIDEOS: Everything about RS