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Brazil’s former intelligence chief is in ICE custody after evading a 16-year prison sentence tied to a plot to overthrow the Brazilian government.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: Back in 2022, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro lost the presidential election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and refused to concede, with he and his allies claiming for months beforehand that the election was rigged. What followed was a coordinated effort (involving military figures, intelligence officials, and political allies) to keep Bolsonaro in power by force, including an alleged plot to have Lula da Silva assassinated. When the coup attempt failed, Bolsonaro’s supporters stormed Brazil’s Congress, Supreme Court, and presidential palace. Brazil’s Supreme Court eventually convicted Bolsonaro and seven co-conspirators, sentencing him to 27 years in prison for his role in organizing the plot. Bolsonaro has denied wrongdoing throughout, calling the prosecution a politically motivated witch hunt (a characterization Trump has echoed publicly, going as far as sanctioning the Brazilian Supreme Court judge who led the investigation).

What’s going on now: Alexandre Ramagem, who led Brazil’s intelligence agency under Bolsonaro, was detained by ICE agents in Orlando on Monday after a routine traffic stop led authorities to refer him to immigration enforcement. Ramagem, who has been in the US since fleeing Brazil, was sentenced in 2025 to 16 years in prison for his role in the coup plot but never reported to prison. Brazil’s federal police confirmed the arrest was the result of “international police cooperation” and expects him to be deported after appearing before an immigration judge.

Brazilian President Lula da Silva said Tuesday he’s confident Ramagem will be sent back, adding that “he has to come back to serve his sentence.”

Bolsonaro allies are pushing hard in the other direction. Brazilian Senator Jorge Seif said he notified the US embassy that Ramagem should not be held, arguing he is being politically persecuted. “The political persecution against President Bolsonaro, his sons and his allies is now hitting an elected lawmaker in foreign soil,” Seif said.

As of now, there’s been no comment from the White House.