Unlicensed surgeon’s escape to Brazil fuels mounting US-Brazil diplomatic clash
João Araujo, an unlicensed plastic surgeon known as “Dr. Frankenstein,” cut his ankle monitor and vanished three days before his trial, prompting concerns it was a Brazil-facilitated flight that deepens an existing diplomatic dispute.
João Araujo, dubbed “Dr. Frankenstein” for alleged botched cosmetic surgeries on Miami patients, cut his ankle monitor and fled on Aug. 1, evading a trial on 14 counts that include grand theft and practicing medicine without a license. After surrendering his Brazilian passport for a $20,500 bond, he is thought to be in Brazil, a country that constitutionally refuses to extradite its nationals. The escape occurs amid a diplomatic row: Brazil denied entry to US ambassador-designate Daniel Perez and refused visas for two State Department officials, while Washington cancelled the visa of Brazilian ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti.
Araujo’s spouse, Amanda Ungaro, is the estranged former partner of Trump envoy Paolo Zampolli and has publicly hinted at secret knowledge about Melania Trump, prompting a denial from the first lady’s office. Both Araujo and Ungaro face multiple felony charges, and their disappearance leaves victims without restitution and raises fears they may resume illegal procedures in Brazil. US officials consider the incident a potential “disaster” for already tense relations, and the US Marshals Service continues to search for Araujo.
Why it matters
The flight of a charged medical fraudster to Brazil threatens victims' restitution and escalates an already fragile US-Brazil diplomatic relationship.
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