Paraguayan authorizes have issued an arrest warrant for a man President Horacio Cartes has described as his "soul brother" as part of a sweeping investigation into corruption in Latin America.

A financial crimes prosecutor on Wednesday accused Dario Messer of money laundering and criminal association. The dual Brazilian-Paraguayan citizen has been on the run since Friday, when Brazilian authorities issued an arrest warrant there.

Brazilian authorities say Messer is the leader of a group of Brazilian illicit money dealers who delivered bribes as part of the so-called "Car Wash" kickback scheme, the biggest corruption scandal in the history of Brazil.

The Paraguayan prosecutor also accused one of Messer's sons and three other men.

Cartes' five-year term ends in August. He won a Senate seat during last month's elections.