Alexandre Ramagem, Brazil's former intelligence chief who fled the country after being sentenced for his role in a coup plot, has been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities.
Ramagem was arrested by ICE agents on Monday, according to Brazilian media reports citing federal police and justice ministry sources. The detention occurred in Florida, where the 53-year-old former congressman had been living since fleeing Brazil in September.
The former head of Brazil's intelligence agency ABIN was sentenced to more than 16 years in prison for his involvement in efforts to overturn the 2022 election victory of leftist leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva over far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro.
Brazilian investigators found that Ramagem had transformed the intelligence agency into a clandestine counterintelligence unit to illegally monitor Bolsonaro's opponents. He used spy software to track the geolocation of supreme court justices, lawmakers, journalists and public officials, while also monitoring investigations involving Bolsonaro's sons.
Ramagem was not arrested, but detained following a police approach in Orlando, initially for a minor traffic infraction and, subsequently, referred to ICE – a common procedure in Florida
Paulo Figueiredo, Bolsonaro ally — Al Jazeera
Figueiredo, a political ally of Bolsonaro living in the US, claimed the detention was unrelated to Brazil's extradition request and that Ramagem has a pending asylum application. He expressed optimism that Ramagem would be released rather than deported.
Brazil formally requested Ramagem's extradition in December, filing documentation with the US Department of State. The former intelligence chief had illegally crossed into Guyana by car before boarding a flight to the United States, where he remained as a fugitive.
During his time in the US, Ramagem appeared in livestreams with far-right Brazilian influencers, claiming to have received approval from Trump's administration. He suggested he had been told it was 'good to know we have a friend who is safe and secure here in the US.'
The arrest comes amid broader tensions between the US and Brazil over the prosecution of Bolsonaro's inner circle. Bolsonaro himself is serving a 27-year prison sentence after his conviction in September, which his allies have characterized as a political witch hunt.
The detention raises questions about whether the Trump administration will honor Brazil's extradition request or allow Ramagem to pursue his asylum claim, potentially creating diplomatic friction between the two countries.