A high-profile development in the aftermath of Brazil’s 2023 attempted coup has crossed international borders, as former Brazilian intelligence chief and ex-lawmaker Alexandre Ramagem has been taken into custody by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, a Brazilian senator confirmed this Monday. Ramagem was already convicted over his role in the anti-government uprising staged by supporters of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, receiving a 16-year prison sentence back in September. He fled Brazil shortly before he was scheduled to begin serving his sentence, leaving Brazilian authorities searching for him across international jurisdictions.
Brazilian federal police confirmed earlier this Monday that a fugitive convicted by the country’s top supreme court on the same three charges tied to the coup attempt had been arrested in Orlando, Florida, though the agency stopped short of naming Ramagem publicly. ICE’s online detainee registry has since listed Ramagem as being in agency custody as of Monday, though the facility where he is being held and the specific grounds for his detention have not been disclosed to the public.
Senator Jorge Seif, an ally of the former Bolsonaro administration, announced via his social media platforms that he has formally filed a request with the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia pushing for Ramagem to be granted political asylum in the United States. Seif argued that Ramagem is the target of political retribution, rather than being subject to legitimate criminal prosecution, and claimed that he should therefore not remain in ICE custody. Seif added that the submitted document lays out what his team frames as justifications for granting asylum to both Ramagem and his family.
“The political persecution against President Bolsonaro, his sons and his allies is now hitting an elected lawmaker in foreign soil,” Seif said in his public statement.
Ramagem’s conviction over the coup plot led to his removal from Brazil’s Congress in December, just three months after his September sentencing, following institutional procedures to strip convicted public officials of their elected seats. As of Monday evening, neither ICE officials nor Ramagem’s personal legal counsel have responded to requests for comment from The Associated Press on the custody situation and asylum request.