Net Tightens on Bolsonaro as Police Seize Passport in Coup Investigation

By Lisandra Paraguassu, Ricardo Brito, and Gabriel Stargardter

BRASILIA – Brazilian police on Thursday confiscated the passport of former President Jair Bolsonaro and accused him of altering a draft decree aimed at overturning election results, coercing military leaders into supporting a coup attempt, and conspiring to imprison a Supreme Court justice.

These serious allegations stem from an investigation into Bolsonaro and his inner circle, who are suspected of plotting a military coup following his electoral defeat to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in 2022. The operation executed on Thursday included search warrants for four former ministers and the arrest of four former aides.

The seizure of Bolsonaro’s passport is a significant development for the former leader, a far-right populist often compared to former U.S. President Donald Trump.

A federal police official involved in the raids indicated that the evidence against Bolsonaro is robust, noting that confiscating his passport helps reduce flight risk without the implications of an outright arrest. The official suggested it might be more prudent to await an indictment and conviction before considering arresting him due to his influential position, which could lead to claims of political persecution.

At the time of the police action, Bolsonaro was at his beach house in Rio de Janeiro state. Brazil’s federal police took possession of the passport, which was reported to be in the capital, Brasilia, according to a spokesperson for Bolsonaro’s family.

A Supreme Court ruling led by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, which initiated the operation, revealed that Bolsonaro had received a draft decree from his aides in November 2022 designed to overturn election results and issue arrest warrants for Justice Moraes, Justice Gilmar Mendes, and Senate leader Rodrigo Pacheco. While the draft was modified at Bolsonaro’s request, it still included the proposed arrests and called for new elections.

After the decree was revised, Bolsonaro allegedly summoned military commanders, attempting to persuade them to support a coup, based on records of phone communications and testimony from his former aide-de-camp.

Bolsonaro’s lawyer did not provide immediate comments regarding the allegations.

In a statement to a local newspaper, Bolsonaro claimed he has been subjected to continuous persecution since leaving the government over a year ago, adding that someone else now leads the country.

Bolsonaro has already been declared politically ineligible until 2030 due to spreading misinformation about the elections and is facing multiple criminal investigations that could result in imprisonment. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing, framing the investigations as politically motivated.

The police operation also targeted some of Bolsonaro’s closest allies, who were once among Brazil’s most powerful figures.

Search warrants were issued for properties linked to several key figures, including his former running mate Walter Braga Netto and former ministers Augusto Heleno, Paulo Nogueira Batista, and Anderson Torres. One of Bolsonaro’s former party leaders, Valdemar Costa Neto, was arrested after an unregistered firearm was found in his home during the search.

Additionally, former international affairs adviser Filipe Martins was among those arrested, and his legal representative stated he was awaiting more information regarding the charges.

The federal police announced that those implicated are accused of being part of “a criminal organization that acted in an attempted coup d’état” aimed at maintaining Bolsonaro’s hold on power.

President Lula emphasized that the coup attempt must be thoroughly investigated to prevent future occurrences, stating, “Without Bolsonaro, there would have been no coup attempt.”